Cell phone ratings are hard to come by

For network administrators looking to buy cellular phones that give off the least amount of radiation, comparing emission levels may not be an easy task. There aren't a lot of options for people trying to find out the specific absorption rate (SAR) of a cellular phone they are considering buying, according to spokesmen for the Federal Communications Commission and the Cellular Telecommunications Internet Association (CTIA).

The FCC does have a Web site where people can get the SAR rating for a particular cell phone if they have the FCC identification number for that phone and if that particular phone is new enough to be listed.

"The FCC site is the most comprehensive," says a spokesman for the CTIA, the industry trade group for cellular telephone manufacturers and carriers. "We understand it's a difficult site. It was written by engineers and it's not easily translatable into layman's terms."

The CTIA passed a rule last year that all CTIA-certified cell phones must have their SAR level made available to consumers. As new makes and models are put on the market, that information will be made available. It's usually noted inside the box that the phone is sold in. It is up to the individual manufacturers if they want to make the SAR available for older models.

That means for anyone entering a store to compare SARs, the store clerks need to be willing to open each box, which is typically sealed. Or it means that the buyer needs take off the battery on each cell phone and check on the back of it for the FCC ID number. Then they can take that number and check to see if it is listed on the FCC Web site.

Each manufacturer rates its own phones. Every cell phone on the market must meet the FCC's guideline of 1.6 SAR.

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