Now, when 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 news is full of scandals caused by the installation of towers with transmitters on the roofs of high-rise residential buildings without the consent of the residents. Today we will try to figure out what is really happening and is the danger real?
Mobile networks
It is hard to imagine the modern world without means of communication: it is very convenient to get a mobile phone out of your pocket and, dialing the desired number, chat with someone. Alas, you have to pay for convenience. And not only money, but also their own he alth. Any wireless device, being active, negatively affects a person. The phone is no exception. Since it is difficult to refuse it, having become familiar with what a base station is and with the principles of its operation, you can reduce the total harmful impact.
There are three main types of communication:
- directly between two devices;
- via satellite;
- on the system using the base station.
Direct communication requires devices towere in the coverage area of their own transceiver modules, which is not always possible, since in many cases this would require huge power and external antennas. Communication via satellite is too expensive and is not designed to serve millions of subscribers at a time, which is typical for terrestrial mobile GSM networks, which are based on a unit - a base station. Accordingly, the last thing remains - cellular communications.
Network structure
To answer the question, what is a base station, let's imagine a simple situation where you need to establish a wireless connection between two phones. As long as they are in the coverage area of their own transmitters, there are no problems. However, since the power is low, when the devices are some distance from each other, the connection is lost. To solve this, it was proposed to install an intermediate link with a receiving-transmitting module between the phones, which would capture the emitted signals and, amplifying them, broadcast further. In fact, we can assume that the phones seem to be getting closer. This link is the base station (BS, tower). Since it does not require mobility and there is no strong limitation on power sources and capacities, the coverage area of \u200b\u200bone BS is much larger than that of a conventional mobile phone. In order to provide global coverage, it was decided to locate the stations at the nodes of polygons-honeycombs. Such a scheme is optimal. That is why cellular base stations can be found everywhere - these are the nodes of polygons. It's that simple. Wheresame claims of harm?
Danger of mobile devices
To understand what is happening, you need to understand the basics of how cellular networks work. Imagine four subscribers, two of whom are talking, and two are not, although their mobile phones are connected to the network (the card is active, there is power). For those who are talking, everything is simple: the communication channel through the base stations is open and the transmission is carried out. But two other mobile devices periodically exchange data with the nearest BS. In fact, the station takes the direction of 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 a chain of towers. The conclusion is simple: even if the phone is not used for a conversation, it periodically communicates with the network by 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 finding the direction of the device. Hence the worries of the residents of high-rise buildings with BS on the roofs.
How to protect yourself
When making a call, the greatest radiation occurs at the time of connection, so it is recommended not to bring the phone too close to your ear for the first few seconds after connection.
Since the phone and the BS are required to exchange data, when you are in a poor reception area (underpasses), 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 a mobile phonekeep away from yourself.
