Wireless communications systems that use electromagnetic fields (EMF) are increasingly used both at home and on the move. Although no adverse health effects have been established, public concerns persist - a 2010 Eurobarometer poll for example found that 67% of respondents thought that mobile phones affect citizens' health.

While practices and measures designed to minimise EMF exposure have been put forward at the national level, these actions focus mainly on cellular network base stations and access points. This is why a group of 17 leading telecommunications operators, vendors, research centres and academic institutions recently launched LEXNET (Low EMF Exposure Future Networks), a European-funded project designed to develop effective mechanisms to reduce by 50% EMF exposure without compromising the quality of service.

"It is important to study innovative low RF exposure solutions at many levels, ranging from the radio devices to the network architecture, topologies, management and the provision of services," said LEXNET project manager Dr Joe Wiart.

The project will define a global index of exposure, in order to assess the averaged exposure of the population over space and time. This will be composed of up- and downlink sources. The project will also identify future network mechanisms, technologies, architectures and parameters, which will allow for the reduction of human exposure.

The LEXNET project is partially funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Program (FP7), within the Work Programme for Information and Communication Technologies under the objective "Network of the Future". This objective supports the development of future network infrastructures that allow the convergence and interoperability of heterogeneous mobile, wired and wireless broadband network technologies as enablers of the future Internet.

The LEXNET project was launched at the beginning of November 2012, and will last for 3 years. Source; European Union