Loud Cell Phone Ringing To Be Restricted

``Mobile phone bell ringing regardless of time and space``

The Ministry of Environment plans to inspect the mobile phone noise since it has been pointed out that the mobile phone ringing in the subway, bus, theater, concert hall, library, etc. causes the new noise pollution.

The Ministry will test the volume level of the mobile phones that were sold in the first half of this year, and will make public the results of the test via the media if the mobile phone products fail to meet the recommended volume standard set by the Telecommuncations Technology Association (TTA).

The TTA established the mobile phone manufacturing companies with the recommended standard which lowered the maximum volume of phone ringing to 68 Decibels (dB) from the previous 70 dB in order to restrict the noise pollution in the public places in July last year.

The Ministry already took over the related data from the seven phone manufacturing companies, and plans to measure the ring sound level with the presence of mobile phone company representatives in mid-August.

The Ministry told that ``68 dB is the proper standard which can avoid the harmful damage to others and is loud enough to be heard. But the bell ringing sound of some mobile phones are too loud``.

Jung Young-Gwan yongari@donga.com