In a newly-released report, the global Telecom Industry trade organization known as the GSMA, has announced that the forthcoming WHO EHC Monograph on Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) Exposure will endorse the ICNIRP RF-EMF exposure limits by claiming that the "consensus among independent scientific experts is that the ICNIRP limits provide protection for all people against all established health hazards from short- or long-term RF-EMF exposures."
The GSMA wants all countries to use this opportunity to adopt ICNIRP's unsafe exposure limits.
This comes as no surprise to those of us who have studied the systematic reviews that form the basis of the pending WHO monograph because members of ICNIRP were heavily involved in the production of these mostly biased reviews:
WHO Radiofrequency EMF Health Risk Assessment Monograph (EHC series)
ICNIRP’s Exposure Guidelines for Radio Frequency Fields
Worldwide Radio Frequency Radiation Exposure Limits versus Health Effects
Worldwide Radio Frequency Radiation Exposure Limits versus Health Effects
The consensus among truly independent scientific experts is that the current ICNIRP exposure limits are inadequate to protect public and environmental health. See the International EMF Scientist Appeal and the International Commission on the Biological Effects of EMF. Independent scientific experts call for more protective biologically-based RF-EMF exposure limits:
Wireless Radiation Exposure Limits
---Study: Wireless radiation exposure for children should be hundreds of times lower than federal limits (based on NTP study)
What's Wrong with Cell Phone Radiation Exposure Limits? (SAR)
Children are more exposed to cell phone radio-frequency radiation than adults
Children are more exposed to cell phone radio-frequency radiation than adults
International Harmonization of RF-EMF Policy
GSMA, October 13, 2026
Mobile technologies, including 5G, and the emerging 6G, are designed for compliance with the international RF-EMF limits. Therefore, services can be more efficiently delivered where countries adopt those limits. In countries with restrictive RF-EMF policies mobile network operators may have to use lower transmitter powers resulting in poor in-building service, gaps in coverage, and consequently more sites.
Many countries have adopted RF-EMF assessment methods from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) or the related International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommendations. Modern mobile network base stations often support more than one mobile technology and multiple frequency bands. Historical approaches based on theoretical maximum site parameters lead to overestimation of RF-EMF levels. Countries should be using the actual maximum approach described in IEC and ITU technical standards. This approach is especially important to the accurate assessment of advanced antennas with beamforming capabilities.
While many in the community recognise the personal benefits of mobile services, some people may have concerns and national authorities should lead on providing trusted information based on credible sources, for example, the WHO and ICNIRP.
GSMA encourages countries to ensure that national RF-EMF policy includes:
— adoption of the ICNIRP (2020) international RF-EMF exposure limits
— regulatory frameworks for RF-EMF compliance based on the actual transmissions of base stations and using the IEC and ITU assessment methods
— effective public communication using information from credible sources, such as the WHO and ICNIRP.
Open access report: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/public-policy/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/GSMA_International-EMF-policy-harmonization-report.pdf
https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/public-policy/gsma_resources/international-harmonization-of-rf-emf-policy/