Now that mobile wireless devices are used even by elementary school students, many are beginning to wonder what a cellular base station is and what effect it has on a person. Not surprisingly, the scandals caused by the installation of towers with transmitters on the roofs of high-rise residential buildings without the consent of the residents are constantly being mentioned in the news. Today we will try to figure out what really happens and is the danger real?
Mobile networks
It is difficult to imagine the modern world without means of communication: it is very convenient to take a mobile phone out of your pocket and, having dialed the desired number, communicate with someone. Alas, you have to pay for convenience. And not only money, but also their own health. Any wireless device, being active, negatively affects a person. The phone is no exception. Since it is difficult to refuse it, having familiarized yourself with what a base station is and with the principles of its operation, you can reduce the total harmful effect.
There are three main types of communication:
- directly between two devices;
- via satellite;
- in a system using a base station.
Direct communication requires that the devices are in the range of their own transceiver modules, which is not always possible, since in many cases this would require tremendous power and external antennas. Communication via satellite is too expensive and is not intended for the one-time service of millions of subscribers, which is typical for terrestrial mobile GSM networks based on a unit - a base station. Accordingly, the last remains - cellular communications.
Network structure
To answer the question of what is a base station, let's imagine a simple situation when it is necessary to establish a wireless connection between two phones. While they are in the coverage area of their own transmitters, there are no problems. However, since the power is small, at some distance from each other, the connection is lost. To solve this, it was proposed to install an intermediate link between the telephones with a transceiver module that would capture the emitted signals and, amplifying them, broadcast further. In fact, we can assume that the phones are getting closer. This link is the base station (BS, tower). Since mobility is not required from it and there is no strong limitation on power sources and capacities, the coverage area of one BS is much larger than that of a conventional cell phone. In order to provide global coverage, it was decided to locate the stations in the nodes of polygons-cells. A similar scheme is optimal. That is why cellular base stations can be found everywhere - these are polygon nodes. So simple. Where does the statement of harm come from?
The danger of mobile devices
To understand what is happening, you need to understand the basics of the mechanism of cellular networks. Imagine four subscribers, two of whom are talking, and two are not, although their mobile phones are connected to the network (card is active, there is power). For the conversation, everything is simple:
the communication channel at the base stations is open and transmission is carried out. But two other mobile devices periodically exchange data with the nearest BS. In fact, the station is finding the mobile phone, determining its location. This is necessary so that when you try to make a call, the communication channel is formed without delays associated with setting up the chain of towers. The conclusion is simple: even if the phone is not used for conversation, it periodically communicates with the network, emitting radio waves. It is easy to guess that although their intensity is low, with a large number of subscribers the tower practically does not turn off, constantly bearing the device. Hence the experiences of residents of high-rise buildings with a BS on the roofs.
How to protect yourself
When making a call, the greatest radiation occurs at the time the connection is established, so it is recommended that you do not bring the phone too close to your ear for the first seconds after connecting.
Since the telephone and the BS are required to exchange data, when in the zone of poor reception (underground passages), the device raises the transmitter power so that the signal reaches the tower. If this connection is broken, then the subscriber is not registered in the network. Conclusion: in case of poor reception you need to keep the mobile phone away from you.