RF SAFETY · EVIDENCE BRIEF
Built on Evidence
How Milestone Towers approaches RF safety — and answers the questions that matter to partners, landowners, and communities.
20+ yrs
developing wireless infrastructure nationwide
0.1–5%
of the FCC limit at Milestone sites (third-party tested)
1,200×
below the FCC standard at Fairfax County school sites
01
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The question behind every site
Milestone Towers has developed wireless infrastructure across the country for over two decades. In that time, one question has come up more consistently than almost any other: are cell towers and radiofrequency emissions safe?
It is a legitimate question, and a complicated one. What partners, landowners, and communities need is a clear, evidence-based explanation of what RF energy is, what the science shows, and how Milestone’s own sites measure against the standards built to protect them.
This page covers Milestone’s approach to RF safety, the global scientific consensus that informs it, and a direct examination of the most common claims — with honest, sourced responses to each.
MILESTONE’S APPROACH — THREE PRINCIPLES
01
Lead with the science
We show the work what RF energy is, how it differs from ionizing radiation, why FCC limits sit where they do, and what real exposure data looks like.
02
Acknowledge uncertainty
The consensus is strong, but we don’t claim every question is resolved forever. Saying so openly is more credible than projecting total certainty.
03
Equip partners
Guides, FAQs, one-pagers, and a resource hub that translate authoritative sources into language partners can actually use.
02
WHAT THE SCIENCE SHOWS
Not a talking point — a documented consensus
Our position on RF safety is the documented consensus of independent scientific and government bodies that have each reviewed decades of peer-reviewed research.
FCC
RF Safety FAQ
Ground-level emissions are “typically thousands of times below safety limits,” with no reason to believe towers pose a health hazard.
World Health Organization
Fact Sheet 304
“No convincing scientific evidence that weak RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects.”
ICNIRP
RF Guidelines 2020
“The only substantiated effect relevant to human health and safety is heating of exposed tissue” — and the 2020 guidelines prevent it.
Fairfax County Schools
Independent RF study
An independent study found power density near towers was “1,200 times lower than the FCC standard.”
03
THE CLAIMS, EXAMINED
Honest answers to the questions that come up
04
WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS SAYING
Independent regulators, the same conclusion
Agencies worldwide — each reviewing the evidence separately — reach the same place: at the exposure levels produced by cell towers and wireless networks, no adverse health effects have been established.
Canada
Health Canada
“No health risks from exposure to the low levels of RF EMF from cell phones, towers, antennas and 5G devices.”
Australia
ARPANSA
“No established evidence for health effects from radio waves used in mobile telecommunications… 5G is safe.”
Germany
Bundesamt f. Strahlenschutz
“No evidence of a carcinogenic effect of high-frequency fields from mobile communications.”
Norway
Inst. of Public Health
“No clear health effects identified from EMF exposure below the exposure limits.”
Sweden
Radiation Safety Authority
“No health risks from exposure to the low levels of RF EMF from cell phones, towers, antennas and 5G devices.”
European Union
SCENIHR
“No adverse effects on reproduction and development; recent data does not change this.”
Ireland
EPA
“No health effects proven at levels below the ICNIRP guidelines for the public.”
Spain
CCARS
“No link demonstrated between mobile phone use and the development of malignant tumors.”
When regulators on three continents — who answer to different governments — independently reach the same conclusion, that convergence is far stronger evidence than any single agency acting alone.
The evidence supports this
infrastructure
If you’re a landowner, district, or community member with questions about RF safety, Milestone has built the resources — and the people — to answer them clearly, honestly, and completely.