Characterization of EMF exposure induced by French cellular networks

Abstract This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of electromagnetic exposure in operational French fourth generation (4 G)/long term evolution (LTE) networks, combining field measurements with computational modeling to assess both uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) contributions. We introduce the novel Radiated Energy per Bit Transmitted (REBT) metric to quantify network radiated energy efficiency, while characterizing TX power patterns across different services, revealing higher mean-to-maximum power ratios for data services compared to voice calls. Through analysis of a representative 2600 MHz user, we demonstrate field-strength-dependent exposure dynamics: with DL field strength of 1 V/m, UL contributes 30% (head) and 12.8% (whole body) of total exposure, while at 0.38 V/m, UL becomes predominant (75% head, 50.4% whole body). Notably, the relative contribution of UL exposure to the total head exposure is consistently higher than that of DL exposure across all scenarios. All measured exposure levels remain well below ICNIRP safety limits, validating safety compliance of LTE. The study establishes an important methodological framework, combining the global exposure index with detailed transfer function analysis, providing critical insights for both current 4 G and emerging fifth generation (5 G) exposure assessments.