Telecom services are rapidly evolving in Africa, with new infrastructure being deployed. However, the proximity of these towers to residential areas sometimes raises concerns.

Egypt has improved the quality of its technical inspections for telecom towers. On September 2, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) and the National Telecommunications Institute (NTI) renewed an agreement that now includes the use of digital solutions for automated and regular inspections.

The agreement, which focuses on health and environmental concerns, ensures that electromagnetic radiation levels “do not exceed global limits, in line with standards set by the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the Ministry of Health and Population, and the Ministry of Environment,” according to the NTRA.

For frequencies between 2 and 300 GHz, used in telecommunications, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) recommends the following limits for public exposure: 61 volts per meter for electric fields and 10 watts per square meter for continuous power density.

As digitization accelerates, with rising demand for broadband and interest in 5G, telecom operators are heavily investing in expanding their networks. This has led to an increase in the number of telecom towers near residential areas. The NTRA and NTI are aware of this growing trend.

Data from the ICNIRP, supported by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in its ITU-T K.91 recommendation, indicate that exposure to radiation levels above the recommended limits can increase internal body heat and pose potential health risks.