Page 87 - ITUJournal Future and evolving technologies Volume 2 (2021), Issue 1
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ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies, Volume 2 (2021), Issue 1
and/or national allocation table to the radio spectrum use should consider space debris
service in which the radio system in question also. Under current practice and regulations,
refers. At the international level, questions a geostationary satellite that has come to the
pertaining to the international frequency end of its operational life is to be transferred
allocation table are decided at the ITU World to a higher altitude orbit, but it stays in space.
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC); There are plans to launch huge constellations
– Health-related limits. The harmful effects of into non-geostationary orbits in order to
artificially generated electromagnetic fields provide direct broadband access with global
on human health is a matter of growing coverage requiring thousands of satellites.
concern and is being actively studied by a Near-Earth space is already polluted by
number of medical institutions under the artificial junk as a result of satellite collisions
umbrella of the World Health Organization. and explosions, including around 20 000
Further uncontrolled increases in the fragments larger than 10 cm in size and
intensity of use of the spectrum may prove around 500 000 between 1 and 10 cm in size
harmful to human health [12]. At present, two [13]. The problem of space debris is expected
types of limits have been established, namely, to be left for future generations.
basic restrictions and reference levels. Basic Delivery of all planned satellites and space
restrictions are standards relating to the missions into space will dramatically increase
effect on human beings of time-varying demand for rocket launches. Up to now rocket
electrical, magnetic and electromagnetic launches occur irregularly and annually do
fields. These are based directly on their not exceed 100 globally so that concerns
proven exposures on human health, although about the damage done to the ozone layer by
measuring them is difficult (for example, rocket emissions have not elicited regulation.
induced current density in the human body). ITU study predicts, more than 1 000 returning
Reference levels are derived from the basic launches only for suborbital vehicles in 2025,
restrictions and are expressed in easily raising a question on appropriate mitigation
measurable units. They set maximum measures at the international level against
permissible emission power for specific types potential negative impacts on Earth’s
of radio system. It is considered that, when atmosphere, carbon emissions increase,
applying reference levels, the overall effect on ozone depletion etc [14].
the body should not exceed the established Booming of radio equipment production
basic restrictions. Increasing the density of causes the growth in CO2 emissions. By 2023,
radio systems especially in urban areas could total carbon emissions resulting from the
call into question the viability of the current growth in production of mobile equipment
approach, as it would be necessary to alone could reach 235 megatons CO2 per year
improve current WHO and ICNIRP regulation [15].
taking into account the aggregated field
strength in order to protect public health; – Power limits. The use of higher bands and
increasing demands for transmission speed,
– Environmental limits. The large-scale use of as well as a growth in the number of radio
different radio systems creates the problem systems of different types result in a
of electronic waste (e-waste), in other words, considerable increase in power consumption,
the necessity to recycle large quantities of which exacerbates the global energy
obsolescent or defective radiocommunication shortage. ITU estimates that the information
hardware. ITU reported that the total global and communication technology (ICT) sector’s
volume of e-waste had reached around share of global electricity consumption in
53.6 million tonnes in 2019 with a forecast 2015 was 3.9 per cent. A typical 5G base
that this figure may be tripled by 2021. Of this station consumes up to twice or more the
total amount, 44.5 million tonnes of e-waste power of a 4G base station. To address this
were discarded in landfills, burned, or challenge, some countries plan further
illegally traded, causing so called “export of development of coal power plants to support
the environmental crisis” and leading to air an intensive introduction of new generation
and water pollution, soil contamination, and radio networks in spite of international
biodiversity loss. Environmental limits for carbon emission limitations;
© International Telecommunication Union, 2021 71
