Journal articles on the topic 'Radiocommunications mobiles'

The article proposes a methodology for evaluating radio signal distortions caused by Doppler effect (DE; also, Doppler shift) under the conditions of highspeed train traffic (HSR, high-speed rail). The objective of the work is to develop criteria for assessing quality of radiocommunications with moving objects in HSR environment. For this, a technique is proposed for calculating the probability of an error arising from Doppler effect. A rationale for relevance of the topic is that radiocommunications are used on railways for controlling train traffic and ensuring safety and achieving required quality of radio signals is a major challenge. Quality assessment is especially important for organization of broadband communication channels with locomotive drivers using mobile networks. To solve this problem, a model for assessing quality of radiocommunication influenced by DE is considered. Distortions of signals in a radio channel due to DE are proposed to be estimated using the reduced dispersion of the total error, which consists of two components: dynamic and interference. Calculations of the total reduced signal error and the error probability for speeds above 100 km/h are described. Estimates of the effect of DE on a coherent receiver, in which errors may occur due to changes in duration of radio pulses, are suggested. Effectiveness of the receiver’s automatic frequency control (AFC) system is analysed as a means of challenging DE. For this, the concept of an instantaneous spectrum of parasitic frequency modulation due to DE was introduced and quality of radio communication was calculated using the reduced dispersion of the total error. The efficiency of using AFC has been proven after comparing the evaluations of reception quality with and without AFC in the form of the ratio of error probabilities. The features of the use of mobile communications on railways under the conditions of DE are formulated.

The conditions of ensuring electromagnetic compatibility of radio electronic means of mobile radio service have been analyzed. The stages of such analysis are outlined and a list of measures to be taken at each stage is given. The types of scenarios (paired, group) of interfering radio electronic means of mobile radio service are described. The technical specifications of the radiocommunication service equipment and antennas, which provide a statement of validation of the electromagnetic compatibility of the radiocommunication electronic means radiocommunication, are provided. An algorithm for determining the electromagnetic environment is proposed and recommendations for providing electromagnetic compatibility are offered.

Labour law sets out the obligation to identify and evaluate electromagnetic hazards in the vicinity of radiocommunication equipment and installations emitting an electromagnetic field (EM-field). Following the regulation of the Ministry of Labour, which established provisions regarding health and safety regarding the EM-field, the "broadcasting tele- and radiocommunication systems” and “mobile phone base stations” have been mentioned among the typical sources of an EM-field (Regulation...., OJ 2016 item 950, amended by item 2284, Annex 1, items 4 and 5). Radiocommunication devices also include “mobile and cordless phones and wireless short distance devices (Regulation...., OJ 2016 item 950, amended by item 2284, Annex 1, item 3), which are devices in common use that do not require a radiocommunication permit, and so are not the subject of this article. Today, radiocommunication devices and systems are among the most common sources of the EM- -field, and while emissions the EM-field of protective zones exists in the vicinity of antennas and some other elements of such systems. The radiocommunication systems are usually operation-free, though they require adjusting and maintenance so workspaces may be identified in their vicinity. The conditions of the workers’ exposure to the EM-field while using radiocommunication systems must undergo periodic inspections made according to the recommended and validated methods, in order to identify electromagnetic hazards and to take appropriate protective measures (Regulation..., Journal of Laws 2011, item 166; Regulation..., OJ 2016 item 950, amended by item 2284). The methods of measuring the EM- -field to the extent necessary to meet these requirements are currently not standardised. Therefore, the aim of the work presented in this article was to develop a recommended method for measuring the parameters of the EM-field in situ in the workspace, while using radiocommunication devices. The recommended measurement method is based on a detailed investigation of the characteristics of exposure to the EM-field surrounding typical radiocommunication devices and systems operated in Poland in the vicinity of systems of antennas and transmitters of mobile phone base stations, broadcasting transmitters of radio and low power television and radio-television broadcasting centres. The work is based on the own results of measurements, as well as published literature and reports from inspection measurements of the EM-field. Based on the results of the study, it was shown that, besides the antennas, which create primary sources of EM-field (in some cases also transmitters and elements of the antenna feeder), in the workspace in their vicinity there are also secondary sources of EM-field: metal structures (ladders, handrails, fences, antennas supports, pipes and groundings) and receiving or inactivated transmitting antennas exposed to the EM-field from active transmitting antennas. In the article, the worked out method is shown for measuring the EM-field in the work space in the vicinity of stationary transmitting radio-communication devices and systems, requiring a radiocommunication permit. The most important sources of uncertainty concerning EM-field measurements near these devices were also discussed.

AbstractThe 694–790 MHz band (700 MHz) known also as the second digital dividend was allocated to the mobile radiocommunication service on a primary basis in Region 1 and identified to International Mobile Telecommunications by the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 (WRC-12). The designation of mobile service in Europe and other countries of Region 1 in 700 MHz band was obtained after the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). Administrations of Region 1 will be able to plan and use these frequencies for mobile networks, including IMT. The goal of this study is to estimate the electromagnetic compatibility of Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T/DVB-T2) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology operating both in 700 MHz band. The study assumes frequency division duplex (FDD) channel arrangement of 703–733 MHz (for uplink) and of 758–788 MHz (for downlink).The model contains two parts: a DVB-T/DVB-T2 system and LTE mobile broadband network. Co-channel scenario is considered in this paper, and possible impact of DVB-T/DVB-T2 on LTE base stations (receivers) is also investigated. The Monte Carlo simulations within SEAMCAT software and the Minimum Coupling Loss (MCL) method are used for interference investigation. The coordination trigger field strength value predetermined by GE06 Agreement is also used in this study. The Monte Carlo method presents more relaxed electromagnetic compatibility scenario in comparison with the MCL method. For SEAMCAT simulations, ITU-R P.1546-5 radio propagation model is used.The obtained results present the required minimum separation distance between DVB-T/DVB-T2 and LTE networks in the 694–790 MHz in order to provide the necessary performance of LTE mobile network.

An important element of modern telecommunications is wireless radio networks, which enable mobile subscribers to access wireless networks. The cell area is divided into independent sectors served by directional antennas. As the number of mobile network subscribers served by a single base station increases, the problem of interference related to the operation of the radio link increases. To minimize the disadvantages of omnidirectional antennas, base stations use antennas with directional radiation characteristics. This solution allows you to optimize the operating conditions of the mobile network in terms of reducing the impact of interference, better managing the frequency spectrum and improving the energy efficiency of the system. The work presents an adaptive antenna algorithm used in mobile telephony. The principle of operation of adaptive systems, the properties of their elements and the configurations in which they are used in practice are described. On this basis, an algorithm for controlling the radiation characteristics of adaptive antennas is presented. The control is carried out using a microprocessor system. The simulation model is described. An algorithm was developed based on the Mathcad mathematical program, and the simulation results of this algorithm, i.e., changes in radiation characteristics as a result of changing the mobile position of subscribers, were presented in the form of selected radiation characteristics charts.

Abstract The 694-790 MHz (700 MHz) band was allocated by the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) in ITU Region 1 (Europe included), to the mobile service on a co-primary basis with other services to which this band was allocated on the primary basis and identified for the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). At the same time, the countries of Region 1 will be able also to continue using these frequencies for their broadcasting services if necessary. This allocation will be effective immediately after 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15). In order to make the best possible use of this frequency band for mobile service, a worldwide harmonized frequency arrangement is to be prepared to allow for large economies of scale and international roaming as well as utilizing the available spectrum in the best possible way, minimizing possible interference between services, facilitating deployment and cross-border coordination. The authors analyze different possible frequency arrangements and conclude on the frequency arrangement most suitable for Europe.

Purpose: To develop a model for the evaluation and analysis of control logical channels (CC) performance quality of GSM-R radiocommunication standard. Methods: Performance process of shared control channel is presented in the form of a stochastic network with further obtaining equivalent function, average time and the function of distributing the time of information transfer in data transmission channel. Results: Mathematical model of shared CC performance process has been developed, corresponding to the algorithm of establishing connection of a mobile user with a network base station. The modeling results allow to conclude on the model adequacy and to assess the degree of various kind interference impact in a given area, including those created by violator’s jammers. The feasibility of reducing analysis time of the parameters of signals, transmitted from a mobile to base station, as well as the need to increase the noise immunity of signals for the control of entry into communication, received signal level and quality are shown. Practical significance: This model can be used to evaluate and analyze performance efficiency of control channels of GSM-R standard mobile radiocommunication real systems.

According to Resolution 235 adopted during the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) and the preliminary agenda item 1.5 of WRC-2023, the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has been entrusted to carry out sharing and compatibility studies between broadcasting and mobile services in the frequency range 470–694 MHz in Region 1. This study specifically focuses on evaluating electromagnetic compatibility in potential co-channel sharing scenarios between Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) and International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) systems within the 470–694 MHz frequency band that may arise in the foreseeable future. To assess the conditions for coexistence, a Monte Carlo simulation method implemented through the SEAMCAT software version 5.4.2 is employed, examining six potential interference scenarios. The simulation results yield the minimum coordination distance required between IMT and DTTB services in the 470–694 MHz band based on the protection criteria to ensure harmonious coexistence while maintaining satisfactory performance. Furthermore, the study investigates the impact of various factors such as transmitter power, antenna heights, coverage radius, antenna discrimination, and antenna tilt angle on the separation distances. The focus lies primarily on critical interference scenarios across neighboring countries’ borders. The simulation outcomes confirm that sharing the same frequency band between IMT and DTTB networks would result in significant mutual interference. Nevertheless, carefully analyzing diverse parameters and assumptions helped provide recommendations to reduce the required separation distances. These findings are valuable for broadcasters, mobile operators, and regulators in establishing the technical coexistence conditions for DTTB and IMT in the new band.

It is very well known that the Rectangular Microstrip Antennas (RMA) are narrowband, but it is possible to enhance its bandwidth by cutting slots inside the patch. Some slots variations have been used to improve this important feature in modern mobile radiocommunication systems. U-slot antennas are employed in broadband applications, but it is very important to consider the usage of a thick substrate with a low dielectric constant. In this paper, an U-slot RMA built in a The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with a thin FR4 substrate for 800 MHz to 900 MHz is presented and analyzed. The PCB that is necessary to fabricate the antenna is very low cost and it is conformable in many mobile terminals. The antenna was simulated in HFSS and measured using return losses and its antenna patterns.

Abstract This paper presents the sharing analysis of the 694–790 MHz frequency band for Mobile services IMT and Aeronautical radio-navigation services (ARNS) using SEAMCAT (established by CEPT) software based on the statistical simulation (Monte-Carlo) method. In 2012 the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) decided to allocate the 694–790 MHz frequency band (the so-called 700 MHz band) to mobile services IMT (excluding aeronautical mobile) after WRC-15 conference. But this agreement raises electromagnetic compatibility problems, which should be solved until WRC-15 [1]. This study was carried out in two phases: first applying theoretical analysis, then statistical Monte-Carlo simulations with SEAMCAT software tool in order to verify results obtained in theoretical approach. Analytical calculations shows that the required protection distances between ARNS stations and the MS base stations are 132 km. The obtained results from SEAMCAT simulations indicate that separation distance should be above 100 km. These results illustrate that the systems are not electromagnetically compatible. The possible mitigation technic could be antenna pattern correction.

The purpose of this paper is to present fully automated systems that monitors on a real time basis the non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless networks. The presented radio monitoring systems aim to perform repetitive and reliable measurements by using a well-defined measurement algorithm as well as high quality calibrated equipment and to inform the public - using the widespread web technologies - about the levels of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by any wireless telecommunication system.

The upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23), according to the preliminary agenda item 1.5, will decide the long-term use of the 470-694 MHz band in International Telecommunication Union Region 1 and consider regulatory actions for the rest of the decade. This article attempts to inform the debate on the future use of spectrum in the 470- 694 MHz band and the status of broadcasting services at the European level and in many individual member states. This article highlights the role WRCs played by allocation of the previous digital dividend bands for mobile services. It provides an overview of the most recent trends and developments of existing services in the sub-700 MHz band. The article also explores and analyzes options for future use of the 470-694 MHz band in Europe and discusses the benefits and implications of adopting each option. Based on this analysis, it is recommended to introduce a secondary allocation to mobile service in the downlink-only mode alongside traditional broadcasting services in the sub-700 MHz band at the upcoming WRC-23.

This paper discusses the size and shape optimization of a guyed radio mast for radiocommunications. The considered structure represents a widely industrial solution due to the recent spread of 5G and 6G mobile networks. The guyed radio mast was modeled with the finite element software SAP2000 and optimized through a genetic optimization algorithm (GA). The optimization exploits the open application programming interfaces (OAPI) SAP2000-Matlab. Static and dynamic analyses were carried out to provide realistic design scenarios of the mast structure. The authors considered the action of wind, ice, and seismic loads as variable loads. A parametric study on the most critical design variables includes several optimization scenarios to minimize the structure’s total self-weight by varying the most relevant parameters selected by a preliminary sensitivity analysis. In conclusion, final design considerations are discussed by highlighting the best optimization scenario in terms of the objective function and the number of parameters involved in the analysis.

5G system design is a complex process due to a great variety of applications and their diverse requirements. This article describes our experiences in developing a centimeter waves mobile broadband concept satisfying future capacity requirements. The first step in the process was the radio channel measurement campaign and statistical modeling. Then the link level design was performed tightly together with the radio frequency (RF) implementation requirements to allow as large scalability of the air interface as possible. We started the concept development at 10 GHz frequency band and during the project World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 selected somewhat higher frequencies as new candidates for 5G. Thus, the main learning was to gain insight of interdependencies of different phenomena and find feasible combinations of techniques and parameter combinations that might actually work in practice, not only in theory.

Implementasi penyiaran televisi digital dengan menggunakan media teresterial telah menjadi kenyataan di Indonesia. Sistem penyiaran televisi digital (Digital Video Broadcast over Terrestrial / DVB-T) memungkinkan untuk penggunaan Single Frequency Network (SFN), sehingga dapat memperluas wilayah jangkauan siaran dengan menggunakan satu kanal frekuensi. Penelitian yang dilakukan adalah merencanakan koordinat dan parameter teknis sistem SFN DVB-T di wilayah TVRI Jawa Barat, berdasarkan rekomendasi dari akta-akta akhir International Telecommunication Union (ITU) dalam Sidang Regional Radiocommunication Conference (RRC-06), untuk mendapatkan jangkauan wilayah yang paling maksimal dan efisien. Simulasi perancangan menggunakan perangkat lunak "Mobile RF" dan "CHIRplus_BC"dalam menentukan koordinat pemancar, parameter daya dan tinggi pemancar, serta keekonomian perancangan. Hasil akhir dari penelitian adalah dengan sistem SFN dapat meningkatkan wilayah jangkauan siaran dari kondisi awal 11.609.819 orang (persentase coverage population 55,51%), menjadi 12.060.282 orang (persentase coverage population 57,66%) sampai dengan 17.563.586 orang (persentase coverage population 83,98%), dengan total jumlah pemirsa adalah 20.914.885 orang.

The present paper contributes to the study of ‘infrastructural failures’ as one of the rapidly developing in re-cent times areas of the anthropology of infrastructure. In the focus of the research is a ‘failure’ of the satellite tele-phone communications in Russian Arctic, which occurred as a result of the decision of one of the providers, Globalstar inc., to withdraw from the Russian market in March 2022. This provider was particularly popular amongst the groups of the native population of Russian Arctic due to low prices for the service and equipment. In the paper, the ethnographic data collected during a fieldwork amongst reindeer herding nomads of Nadym District of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia, are used, on the basis of which the study is carried out on how the tundra nomads were adapting to the failure and overcoming its consequences. The paper starts with a short historical review of the development of long-range communications in tundra and the social norms, strategies, and behavioural patterns formed at different times amongst the reindeer herders in respect to these communications. This review, the materials for which comprised published literature and fieldwork records of the author collected in the late 1990s — early 2000s, demonstrates that up until the arrival of mobile and satellite telephones in tundra during the second decade of the 21st century, radiocommunications of the reindeer herders were, firstly, public and, secondly, relied in messaging on the social networks and mutual obligations of the nomadic groups with regard to transferring information. The review is followed by the description and analysis of the field data collected by the author during the fieldwork in August 2022. It is shown that the loss of the satellite connectivity in the spring of that year disturbed the reindeer herders very much and even caused a change in the movement routes of some of their groups. However, the herders soon managed to adapt to the new conditions. For that, the mobile phones, which were working on a part of the migration territory of the herders, were employed, as well as, impor-tantly, there were restored the social networks and obligations with respect to the information transfer that allowed reliable and relatively fast communications with the locations where the mobile connectivity was lacking. As the result, the communications once again became public, but the serious problems, which might have been caused by the interruption of the satellite connectivity, were able to be avoided. Meanwhile, the acute feeling of uncer-tainty that the herders were experiencing after the failure of the satellite connectivity, shows that the role of the long-range radiocommunications in their lives has increased significantly over the last two decades. The results of the study are also discussed in the context of the recent hypothesis on the “societies of the failure normality”.

Terahertz (THz) communication is a key candidate for the upcoming age of beyond-fifth-generation mobile networks (B5G) or sixth-generation mobile networks (6G) in the next decade and can achieve ultra-high data rates of dozens of gigabits or even terabits per second. As the carrier frequency increases from radio frequency (RF) to the THz band, the impact of meteorological factors on the wireless link is expected to become more pronounced. In this work, we first provide an overview of the attenuation caused by atmospheric gases, fog, and rain on terrestrial THz wireless communications using the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication (ITU-R). Measured data from the literature are used to predict the attenuation caused by snow. Because unfavorable weather conditions may harm sensitive measurement equipment, ray-tracing (RT) simulations are sometimes used as an alternative to extend sparse empirical data. In this study, the terrestrial channel in an urban scenario at 300 GHz, with a bandwidth of 8 GHz, is characterized using RT simulations under different meteorological factors. The key performance parameters are explored, including path loss (PL), Rician K-factor (KF), root-mean-square (RMS) delay spread (DS), and four angular spreads. The channel characteristics under different meteorological conditions studied in this work are expected to aid the design of future outdoor terrestrial THz communications.

The electromagnetic field (EMF) in electric vehicles (EVs) affects not only drivers, but also passengers (using EVs daily) and electronic devices inside. This article summarizes the measurement methods applicable in studies of complex EMF in EVs focused on the evaluation of characteristics of such exposure to EVs users and drivers, together with the results of investigations into the static magnetic field (SMF), the extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF) and radiofrequency (RF) EMF related to the use of the EVs in urban transportation. The investigated EMF components comply separately with limits provided by international labor law and guidelines regarding the evaluation of human short-term exposure; however other issues need attention—electromagnetic immunity of electronic devices and long-term human exposure. The strongest EMF was found in the vicinity of direct current (DC) charging installations—SMF up to 0.2 mT and ELF magnetic field up to 100 µT—and inside the EVs—up to 30 µT close to its internal electrical equipment. Exposure to RF EMF inside the EVs (up to a few V/m) was found and recognized to be emitted from outdoor radiocommunications systems, together with emissions from sources used inside vehicles, such as passenger mobile communication handsets and antennas of Wi-Fi routers.

This paper delves into the imperative need for coexistence and compatibility in the 470–694 MHz frequency band, as mandated by the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) and the WRC-23. It focuses on challenges in the coexistence of Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) and International Mobile Telecommunications-2020 (IMT-2020) services in downlink-only mode, particularly in adjacent-channel scenarios. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the study evaluates the probability of interference from IMT base stations with DTTB reception. The analysis thoroughly investigates the impact of the IMT transmitter’s Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR) and the DTTB receiver’s Adjacent-Channel Selectivity (ACS) on the probability of interference. The results demonstrate a significant degradation in the DTTB reception probability at the edge of coverage based on standard assumptions. To address these challenges, this paper provides recommendations for mitigating interference. These include defining enhanced ACLR regulations for IMT base stations, implementing antenna discriminations, providing specialized filters, and establishing national coordination procedures. The research provides valuable insights for informed decision making in spectrum management within the 470–694 MHz band, aiming to facilitate the coexistence of DTTB and IMT-2020 services, in line with international regulations and best practices.

ABSTRACT Pervasive computer games (PCGs) combine digital mobile technologies and location-based systems by creating an interface between electronic and physical spaces for playing. PCG is a general name for mobile games such as hybrid reality games (HRGs), location-based mobile games (LBMGs), and urban games. Our goal here is to show how these games, along with new digital mobile technologies, have the potential to produce “spatialization,” i.e., to socially produce the space in which they are embedded. I suggest that spatialization is achieved through the use of technology such as sensors and digital mobile networks (smartphones, PDAs, global positioning systems [GPSs], and augmented reality [AR] devices; radio frequency identification [RFID] tags and global system for mobile communications/general packet radio service [GSM/GPRS]; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). The goal of this article is to examine the forms of spatialization created by the use of location-based services and location-based technologies.RÉSUMÉ : Les jeux mobiles géolocalisés combinent les technologies numériques mobiles avec les systèmes géolocalisés, créant ainsi pour le jeu une interface entre espace électronique et espace physique. Ces jeux comprennent tout jeu mobile tel que les jeux de réalité hybride et les jeux urbains. Mon but dans cet article est de montrer comment ces jeux, de concert avec les nouvelles technologies numériques mobiles, ont le potentiel de réaliser certains types de « spatialisation », c’est-à-dire de créer socialement l’espace dans lequel ils se trouvent. Je suggère que la spatialisation s’accomplit au moyen de technologies comme les capteurs et les réseaux numériques mobiles (téléphones intelligents, assistants numériques personnels, systèmes GPS et systèmes de réalité augmentée; étiquettes d’identification par radiofréquence, systèmes mondiaux de communication avec les mobiles et services généraux de radiocommunication par paquets; Wi-Fi et technologie Bluetooth). Le but de cet article est d’examiner les types de spatialisation créés au moyen de technologies et services géolocalisés.

Рассматривается вопрос возможности реализации гибридных спутниковых систем в полосах частот наземных сетей IMT в условиях помех со стороны наземных систем IMT. В частности, оценивается потенциальное помеховое воздействие со стороны наземных сетей IMT на линию Земля-космос гибридных спутниковых систем. Также приведен обзор текущих применений гибридных спутниковых систем и результатов Всемирной конференции радиосвязи 2023 г. в части пунктов, связанных с новыми полосами частот для подвижной спутниковой службы. На основании проведенного анализа сделан вывод о возможности применения гибридных спутниковых систем в полосах частот наземных систем IMT. The article considers the feasibility of utilizing hybrid satellite systems within the terrestrial IMT network bands, despite potential interference challenges from the latter. In particular, the potential interference impact from terrestrial IMT networks on the Earth-to-space link of hybrid satellite systems is assessed. The article also covers the current uses of hybrid satellite systems and shares insights from the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023, focusing on the agenda items related to new frequency bands for mobile satellite service. Based on the analysis, it is concluded that it is possible to use hybrid satellite systems within terrestrial IMT frequency bands.

The mobile telephone, or cellular telephone as it is called in North America, is the fastest-growing consumer product of the past decade. [1] Despite its popularity, metaphors of risk, contamination, and illness frequently run through stories about cellphone use. These representations are based mostly on a lingering but unproven link between brain cancer and cellphone use. Despite numerous scientific studies, none have definitively ruled out the risk and none have found conclusive evidence of harm. The claim that cellphone use is potentially dangerous or downright carcinogenic is supported instead by plenty of anecdotal evidence, rumour, urban myth, and "junk science." What is interesting to me is that these different representations of cellphone use as a practice that poses relative, absolute and no risk can coexist and persist, despite obvious contradictions. I suggest that Donna Haraway's concept of breached boundaries and Ulrich Beck's notion of "risk society" can be employed superficially to make sense of how we negotiate these different representations. In order to begin a discussion about why cellphone use in North America continues to be represented as a potentially risky practice, it is necessary to mention one story that is frequently credited as being the starting point for the narrative of fear and anxiety informing these representations. In spite of its germinal status, the story is but the latest embodiment of the narrative. It begins in August 1988 in Florida when David Reynard gave his wife Susan the gift of a cellphone. Seven months later, a medical scan revealed a tumour in Susan's brain. She claimed that as a result of being bombarded by radiation from the cellphone, the damaged cells either caused her tumour or accelerated the growth of an existing tumour. In April 1992, Susan launched a lawsuit against the phone's manufacturer, the company that provided the cellular service, and the retail store that sold the phone. A month after filing the lawsuit, Susan died of brain cancer. In January 1993, David Reynard was interviewed on the highly-rated CNN show Larry King Live. The interview sent shockwaves through the telecommunications industry. Stock prices of the major cellphone companies fell and some subscribers cancelled their contracts and returned their phones. Spokespeople for the industry countered David's accusations with claims that electromagnetic energy is as harmless as the oxygen we breathe. In fact, they said, it is already all around us in natural and artificial forms, including in emissions from the earth and sun. A spokesperson for Motorola, a major cellphone manufacturer, predicted that Susan's lawsuit would fail because "thousands" of studies had been conducted, which proved that radiation emitted by cellphones was not dangerous to users. In fact, no such studies existed. The lie was revealed when journalists and Susan's lawyer asked to see the studies. Almost as if to make up for the lie, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association,[2] a lobby group for North American cellular service providers, created the Wireless Research Center. Not surprisingly, the Center produced findings during its six-year mandate that were mostly favourable to the industry. In 1995, Susan's lawsuit was dismissed by a judge who said no reliable scientific evidence had been presented to link cellphone use to cancer. Expert witnesses for the defence had argued that the evidence presented on her behalf was merely wild speculation, "junk science," and a perversion of science masquerading as real science. Over a dozen similar lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. and the U.K. since. Few of them have surpassed Susan's lawsuit in notoriety and none have earned a favourable ruling. While it is still both mocked and venerated in the popular media and is the focus of derision in the telecom industry press and in medical science journals, the question central to the case (but does it cause cancer?) is still unresolved and so are the contradictions now associated with it. Did Susan's own body generate her tumour or was it generated by cellphone radiation? Where is the line between junk science and real science? Is artificial radiation from a cellphone as harmless as natural radiation from the earth or sun? These questions are indicative of some of the boundary breakdowns that Haraway claims are causing disorder and contradiction in late twentieth-century Western culture, namely between human and machine, between the physical and non-physical, and between natural and artificial. According to Beck, the degeneration of these boundaries are also indicative of a risk society characterised by environmental degradation. Because this degeneration is both perceived and potential, it hardly matters anymore what is rational or irrational, legitimate science or junk science. Both factual and fictional texts contribute to our knowledge of risks surrounding cellphone use as a biohazard that is a threat to individual bodies and to the social body. A series of events occurring throughout the 90s in North America added to the ambiguity and mystery surrounding cellphone use. Numerous rumours circulated about the practice sparking explosions at petrol stations and causing interference with car brakes, airbags, and electric wheelchairs. In addition, Health Canada and the U.S . Food and Drug Administration issued several bulletins to alert the public that cellphone use could cause heart pacemakers, hospital monitoring equipment, and aeroplane navigational instruments to malfunction. Susan's lawsuit ended when the court imposed closure, but the narrative embodied by the lawsuit continued in these rumours and warnings. The lawsuit was an event with a clear beginning and end. The narrative of fear and anxiety about contamination that could lead to illness, disease, and death preceded the lawsuit and was already embodied in other stories, particularly ones surrounding cancer and AIDS. When Susan launched her lawsuit, in some media reports, the cellphone was called the "new cancer villain" and the potential link between cancer and cellphone use was deemed the "yuppies version of AIDS." The comparison of cellphone use to cancer and AIDS functions both as a cultural and biological metaphor. It links the practice explicitly with disease and implicitly with death, and it also recalls the narrative of fear and anxiety surrounding cancer and AIDS, two potentially fatal diseases which preceded the introduction of cellphones. Seventeen years have passed since the cellphone became widely available in North America. Currently, almost nine million Canadians, or one in three people, own a cellphone. In the United States, there are 108 million users. Subscriptions there are increasing at the rate of approximately 46,000 each day or about one new owner every two seconds. The recent flood of private talk in public places in North America is being represented in popular media as a contamination of the social body, a morally repugnant practice, and a menace to civil society. A moral panic has arisen over cellphone use because it allows conversations to be audible and the user to be visible where before they were inaudible and the user was invisible by virtue of being hidden away in homes, offices, and phone booths. In public places the voice of the cellphone user extends the self and claims more space, which in turn impinges on the personal space of others. It is like a stranger's unwelcome touch. Proof that the moral panic has reached a new level in Canada may be evident in a request from the federal government last March for public opinion on whether devices known as silencers or jammers should be licensed for use so that businesses and institutions can disable cellphones within a particular radius when necessary. As a result of the popular use of the term "cellphone" in North America, a neat conflation of meaning is occurring between cellphone use as a potential threat to biological cells in the human body and the practice as a perceived threat to the physical spatial cells of personal spaces that comprise the social body. Stories about cellphone use as hazard articulate a narrative of fear and anxiety we share that cannot simply be dismissed as absurd. How people respond to cellphone use and the health questions and moral panic surrounding it cannot be decided by medical or legal experts alone. Consequently, in a risk society characterised by a peculiar synthesis of "empirical knowledge" and "indefinite uncertainty," the question "does it cause cancer?" becomes irrelevant. According to Beck, it may be more useful to ask "how do we want to live?" Endnotes [1] "Cellphone" (a contraction of cellular and telephone) is the popular term for "mobile telephone" in North America. "Mobile phone" usually refers to car phones with an antennae mounted on the roof or window of the car. [2] The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association was recently renamed the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. References Adams, Barbara, Ulrich Beck, and Joost van Loon, eds. The Risk Society and Beyond: Critical Issues for Social Theory. London: Sage Publications, 2000. Carlo, George, and Martin Schram. Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2001. Erni, John. Unstable Frontiers: Technomedicine and the Cultural Politics of "Curing" AIDS. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1994. Haraway, Donna. Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge, 1991. Industry Canada. "Notice No. DGTP-002-01 Silencers (Devices Capable of Interfering with or Blocking Mobile Telephone Communications)." 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