New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): Union Minister for Communications and IT Kapil Sibal today inaugurated the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) lab, which will audit the SAR values of mobile phones and the Next Generation Network (NGN) lab in the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC).

Speaking on the occasion, Sibal out that while world standards with regard to SAR had been adopted earlier, we are adopting even more stringent standards as in the USA, Brazil, China and in some other countries.

Stressing the need for health safeguards, Sibal said he has asked the TEC to prepare the equipment for testing 4G and 5G.

The TEC SAR is one of its kind as it is the first lab in India for independent audit of SAR value, self-certified by mobile handset manufacturers and importers in India. The lab utilizes the existing radio frequency chamber available with TEC.

As per the DoT Memorandum of January 25, 2012, the mobile handset manufacturers in India have to provide self-declaration of SAR value on the handsets.

As regards imported handsets from other countries, manufacturers, apart from self-declaration of SAR, shall specify the SAR information on their documents for verification by the appropriate authority. Suitable amendments in the Indian Telegraph Rules under Indian Telegraph Act 1985 shall be enacted for strict compliance.

As per this Memorandum, TEC has been mandated to conduct the audit on self-certified mobile handsets.

This Lab is capable of making SAR measurement for CDMA, GSM 2G and 3G mobile handsets in the frequency band of 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz.

The lab is also capable of measuring SAR value against the International Commission on non-Ionizing Radio Protection (ICNIRP) limit of 2 Watt per Kilogram measured over 10 gm. of tissue as well as the recently adopted unit in human i.e. 1.6 Watt per Kg measured over 1 gm of tissue.

The will also undertake request from mobile handset manufacturers for testing the devices on their request, for a fee.

The Next Generation Network (NGN) lab in TEC is a unique test infrastructure in the country which is capable of subjecting Internet Protocol (IP) based equipment for Conformance and Interoperability testing.

The cost of the lab is Rupees 3.5 crore. The lab is equipped with Testing and Measurement Equipment manufactured by M/s Spirent of USA and supplied by M/s Sterlite as System Integrator. (ANI)