To sum this story up briefly – Industry Canada creates safe guidelines for the use of Radio Frequency (RF) energy. The Sony Xperia Z3 exceeds those requirements when used as a hotspot. Sony is aware of the situation and is hoping for a software update soon. In the meantime, TELUS has suspended the sale of the Xperia Z3 and disabled its hotspot capabilities and will resume sales after Sony fixes the issue.
Industry Canada makes note on its site that “RF energy exposure from Wi-Fi equipment in all areas accessible to the general public are required to meet Health Canada’s safety guidelines. The limits specified in the guidelines are far below the threshold for adverse health effects and are based on an ongoing review of thousands of published scientific studies on the health impacts of RF energy. The public exposure limits apply to everyone, including children, and allow for continuous, 24/7 exposure.”
With regards to Wi-Fi, they claim it must meet requirements “for the safe use of radiation-emitting devices operating in the frequency range from 3 kilohertz (kHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 and 5.8 GHz frequency range.”
Even though the Sony Xperia Z3 is being sold by Rogers, Bell, WIND Mobile, MTS and SaskTel…only TELUS has suspended sales and disabled its hotspot capability. TELUS’ internal documentation claimed they were taking this response because of their “policy of putting customers first, and out of an abundance of caution.” Once the Xperia Z3 is back in compliance, TELUS will resume selling the device. The other carriers have not commented on the situation, possibly due to low sales or the low number of subscribers that actually use their smartphone as a wireless hotspot.
Sony Mobile said, “In connection with a software update, a hotspot compliance issue with the Sony Xperia Z3 has been identified. We have been working with Industry Canada to provide a solution and a software upgrade will be made available in the next few weeks once testing is completed which will address this fully.”
Please hook up with us on our Google+ Page and let us know if you have purchased a Sony Xperia Z3, which Canadian network you are on, and if you applaud TELUS’ quick action or do you think it was overkill. Do you think the other networks should be acting on their own solutions…as always, we would love to hear from you.