ITU‐T's Technical Reports and Specifications 603 3 EMF and health Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in everyday life is not a recent occurrence. Humans have been exposed to natural EMF throughout their lifetime; however, human sources of EMFs have increased in the past century with the development of technology and radio communications. The electromagnetic spectrum extends from static electric and magnetic fields, domestic electric power frequencies (50/60 Hz) through radio frequency, infrared, and visible light to gamma‐rays (Figure 9). Source: ITU‐T, Supplement 1 to Recommendation ITU‐T K.91 ‐ Guide on Electromagnetic Fields and Health, 2014. Figure 9 – The electromagnetic spectrum and typical sources of electromagnetic fields Radio signals are a form of electromagnetic energy (or electromagnetic radiation (EMR)). Radio signals are non‐ionizing, which means that they cannot directly impart enough energy to a molecule to break or change chemical bonds. This is in contrast to ionizing radiation, such as X‐rays, which can strip electrons from atoms and molecules, producing changes that can lead to tissue damage and possibly cancer. It has been known for many years that exposure to sufficiently high levels of radio signals can heat biological tissue and potentially cause tissue damage if the human body cannot cope with the extra heat. Much of the public concern relates to the possibility of health hazards from long‐term exposures at levels too low to produce measurable heating.