Location certificate

A location certificate is a certificate in accordance with the Ordinance on the Verification Procedure for Limiting Electromagnetic Fields (BEMFV) on the successful inspection of fixed radio systems by the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) and a prerequisite for the operation of a transmission system with a radiated power of more than 10 watts EIRP . Each location certificate can be identified with a unique location certificate number.

Procedure

Since July 1, 1992, the location procedure to ensure the protection of people in electromagnetic fields has been carried out nationwide in Germany . As part of the location procedure, fixed radio systems , provided they have an equivalent isotropic radiation power of 10 watts and more, are checked so that the field strengths emitted by the systems can not exceed the personal protection limit values. The location procedure has been continuously developed since 1992 and adapted to the current requirements for the protection of people in electromagnetic fields. The location procedure carried out in Germany is in relation to its consistent implementation of the "Recommendations of the Council of July 12, 1999, to limit the exposure of the population to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)!" unprecedented in Europe.

Fixed radio systems are required for terrestrial radio coverage of a certain area or area. To plan the radio and television network, the radio and television companies carry out local coverage measurements in order to determine, among other things, the location of the transmitter based on the so-called minimum field strength (the minimum field strength required for interference-free reception at the receiving antenna, for example on the roof of a house) and to determine the required transmission power.

Cell phone locations are planned in a similar way. The planning and construction of a cellular network is the responsibility of the respective network operator, taking into account the applicable legal provisions. To determine the location of fixed mobile radio base stations, the operators use computer-aided methods in which the topographical conditions, the buildings and vegetation as well as the expected volume of calls / communications for each mobile radio cell to be developed (a cellular cell is formed by a base station) are taken into account. The choice of location for fixed radio systems is the result of radio network planning or supply planning for which the operator of the fixed radio system is responsible. The Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways (BNetzA) monitors compliance with telecommunications regulations. This includes, among other things, the obligation of the operator to successfully complete the site procedure with the Federal Network Agency before a fixed radio system is put into operation. The location procedure is completed when the safety distance set by the Federal Network Agency can also be maintained at the installation site. Otherwise the Federal Network Agency refuses to issue the location certificate.

Only amateur radio stations do not require a location certificate . Their operators must adhere to the same limit values - the BEMFV only provides for one procedure for displaying the transmitters.

State legal regulations

The Federal Network Agency has no influence on building permit procedures regulated by state law or on the notification procedure in accordance with Section 7 of the 26th Ordinance on Electromagnetic Fields (26th BImSchV ). In both procedures (building permit and notification), however, the location certificate issued by the Federal Network Agency forms the basis for decision-making for the competent state authority.

Computational method

As a rule, the Federal Network Agency calculates the safety distances for a location certificate. If this is not possible for technical reasons (e.g. observations within the radio near field of a radio transmitter ), the safety distance is determined by measurement or on the basis of numerical near field calculations.

When a location certificate is issued by calculation, each transmitting antenna is considered individually based on its technical parameters. The maximum possible system utilization is assumed and each parameter to be evaluated is assumed to be to the detriment of the operator in terms of protecting people in electromagnetic fields (worst-case consideration). The assessment is in accordance with the requirements of the "Recommendations of the Council of July 12, 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)".

This conservative evaluation method has the consequence that at mobile radio locations for which the Federal Network Agency has already issued a location certificate, follow-up measurements confirm the values of the location certificates. This is easy to understand, because only the actual field strengths , which can change depending on the current transmission power, the weather, the nature of the soil and other parameters, are recorded in terms of measurement technology, whereas in the case of a mathematical consideration, radio parameters in the sense of protecting people in electromagnetic fields to the detriment of the operator.

In order to rule out such metrological falsifications in the location procedure, the Federal Network Agency initiates the setting of operational maximum transmission parameters for fixed radio systems for which a location certificate can only be issued for metrological purposes.

Establishing safety distances

The safety distance specified in the location certificate is based on and taken into account for the entire location:

the field strengths of the fixed radio system applied for,
the field strengths of the radio systems that are also installed at this location (shared use of the location) and
the relevant field strengths emanating from the surrounding stationary radio systems (among other things, stationary, military radio systems are also taken into account).

In addition to the location-related safety distance, which takes into account all the radio transmission systems installed at the location, the Federal Network Agency shows a separate safety distance for each transmission antenna. With this comprehensive assessment of the fixed radio systems and the presentation of the safety distances, the Federal Network Agency makes the locations of radio systems transparent with regard to the protection of people in electromagnetic fields . All protective distances that are determined by the Federal Network Agency are based on the lower edge of the lowest-mounted transmitting antenna.

Example for illustration

A spun concrete mast is 30 meters high. The transmitting antennas were mounted on the spun concrete mast at a height of 25 meters. Below these transmitting antennas, for example, there are only receiving antennas. In this case, the safety distance set by the Federal Network Agency is based on the lower edge of the transmitting antenna, which is at a height of 25 meters. If a vertical safety distance of 0.8 meters is assumed (this is a typical value for mobile radio systems), there would be a safety margin of 24.2 meters between the base of the antenna carrier and the transmitting antenna. Due to the rapidly decreasing field strengths with distance, the field strengths at the base of the antenna support are far below the globally scientifically recognized personal protection limit values of the "Council recommendations of July 12, 1999, to limit exposure of the population to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz) ". This fact can be understood very clearly on the basis of the results of the nationwide Federal Network Agency EMVU measurement campaign .

Expiry of a location certificate

An issued location certificate is not a "permanent certificate". As soon as an operator changes technical features that are important for determining the safety distance (such as the mounting height , the main beam direction, the number of channels, the power, the antenna gain ), the location certificate expires and the location procedure must be carried out again. A location certificate also expires if the location is to be used by new radio systems.

This joint use is only possible if compliance with the personal protection limit values is ensured by the location certificate. In addition to checking to what extent a location certificate can be issued at all, other technical aspects are also important when the location is shared. Also for reasons of possible mutual interference from co-installed radio systems ( EMC ) but also due to planning of the radio network structure, the location cannot be shared in all cases. A general requirement that radio systems should also use existing radio system locations can therefore not be supported by the Federal Network Agency.

Verification

Locations for which the Federal Network Agency has already issued a location certificate are checked at irregular intervals by the Federal Network Agency at the installation site without the knowledge of the operator. The number of location reviews of a branch office of the Federal Network Agency depends on the number of site certificates issued per year in the respective branch office. Every year, 15 percent of the location certificates issued at a branch office of the Federal Network Agency are checked. The site reviews carried out so far showed that the majority of the sites were free of complaints. Incorrect location designations were found at some locations, but these had no effect on the safety distance set by the Federal Network Agency. The correction of these minor deficiencies was carried out by the Federal Network Agency branch offices as part of the location procedure.

EMF database

All radio systems in operation can be called up in the EMF database of the Federal Network Agency , provided they have an equivalent isotropic radiation power of 10 watts and more . The safety distances to be observed are displayed for each location.