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Canada is no longer selling this Alcatel phone due to radiation concerns
- Alcatel has temporarily stopped selling the Alcatel U50 in Canada over radiation concerns.
- The phone failed to meet Canadian radiation regulations, although it is still considered safe.
- Alcatel is working on a software update to fix the issue.
Alcatel has temporarily stopped selling the Alcatel U50 in Canada after it failed to meet government-set wireless radio frequency energy exposure limits. These are limits that aim to regulate the amount of radiation devices can emit. The Alcatel U50 is a budget device that was first released in late 2017 and sold by Bell, Telus and Freedom Mobile.
Despite failing to comply with government regulations, a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada confirmed to MobileSyrup (via Android Headlines) that the phone is still safe to use. They explained that the government limits have a “50-fold safety margin below the threshold for adverse health effects,” and that the U50 fell well within these margins.
The brand confirmed to MobileSyrup that it is working on a software update to fix the issue and that the phone should be available again soon. Existing Alcatel U50 models have not been recalled, which also suggests the problem isn’t severe.
All smartphones produce low amounts of non-ionizing radiation due to features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 4G. While it is known that ionizing radiation can be harmful, according to the National Cancer Institute, there is no consistent evidence that exposure to non-ionizing radiation poses a cancer risk.