EME Checker

Use our EME Checker to find the average electromagnetic energy (EME) from mobile phone towers (base stations) in tested areas. You can also see how those measurements compare with the safety limits set by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). The EME Checker allows you to check how the EME measured compares with the telco’s predicted maximum EME levels.

Use the EME Checker to:

• compare the average EME from mobile phone towers with the ARPANSA safety limit
• compare the predicted maximum EME values that telcos provide for each mobile phone tower with actual maximum levels measured by us
• find the maximum level of 5G EME at tested sites (measured using 5G beamforming techniques) and how this compares to the ARPANSA safety limit.

More sites and locations will be added over time.

We measure EME at selected mobile base stations across Australia to:

• confirm that emissions at those locations in areas accessible to the public are below the ARPANSA safety limits
• check if telcos are following the rules about emissions.

We use 3 types of measurement to check that telcos are complying with the EME standards:

1. Environmental EME measurements – measuring the average cumulative EME at a site.
2. Comparing actual maximum measured levels with telcos’ predicted maximum EME levels.
3. EME measurements using 5G beamforming to consider the impact of beamforming technology focused signals in the direction of a device) on EME measurements.

Read more about these types of measurement in our methodology.

Our data quality statement sets out:

• how the data is collected and managed
• how the EME data is defined
• the known data quality considerations.

The ACMA is responsible for ensuring communications equipment and devices comply with the EME standard. We make sure people, equipment and certain devices like mobile phones, modems and remote controls comply with safe EME limits.

These safety limits are set by ARPANSA, the Australian Government’s expert agency on EME health-related matters. They are outlined in ARPANSA’s Radiation Protection Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields – 100 kHz to 300 GHz (ARPANSA Standard).

Under the legislation we administer, there are 2 main elements of the regulation of mobile phone base stations:

• carrier consultation and notification requirements under the C564:2018 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code (the deployment code) when installing base stations.
• carrier compliance with the mandatory standard for EME emissions in licence conditions under the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Apparatus Licence) Determination 2015.

We undertake a range of compliance activities – including site audits and measurement studies – as part of our role.

Our EME measurement work shows that telcos are complying with our rules and that mobile base stations are safe.

View reports on our previous EME measurements, audits and inspections.

View more information about EME, 5G and the safety of mobile networks.