Do mobile phones need a base station?

Mobile phones and other mobile devices require a network of base stations in order to function. The base station antennas transmit and receive RF (radio frequency) signals, or radio waves, to and from mobile phones near the base station. Without these radio waves, mobile communications would not be possible.

How much exposure can a radio base station have?

On the ground, in houses, and other places where people reside, the exposure levels from radio base stations are normally below 1 percent of the limits. Only in the close vicinity of the antennas can the exposure limits sometimes be exceeded.

What is a mobile phone base station?

A mobile phone base station provides coverage to a geographic area known as a “cell”. Cells are aligned next to each other in a similar pattern to a honeycomb, and it is for this reason that mobile phone networks are sometimes referred to as “cellular” networks.

What is a base station in radio communications?

In radio communications, a base station is a wireless communications station installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of one of the following: a wireless telephone system such as cellular CDMA or GSM cell site. Base stations use RF power amplifiers (radio-frequency power amplifiers) to transmit and receive signals.

How does a mobile phone connect to a base station?

The first step in the process is for the phone to check that there is coverage in the area that the call is made. Once the phone has verified that there is sufficient signal strength to make the call, the phone establishes a connection with a nearby mobile phone base station.

What happens if a phone is handed over to a base station?

There is usually a smooth transition or ‘handover’ from cell to cell. During the duration of a call, the phone may have handed over to and from a number of base stations. If there is no adjoining base station, such as on the fringes of the mobile phone network, the call will drop out.