Implications of Incident Power Density Limits on Power and EIRP Levels of 5G Millimeter-Wave User Equipment

User equipment (UE) is required to comply with the relevant radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure limits, which are of relevance to establish the maximum permissible transmitted power and the maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP). Recently, international RF EMF exposure guidelines, such as those published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) as well as by the IEEE, have been updated. In this paper, the implications of the revised incident power density limits are investigated in terms of maximum permissible transmitted power and the maximum EIRP for devices operating in close proximity of the user. A similar analysis is conducted according to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation on RF exposure. EMF compliance of UE is studied by means of numerical modelling of patch antenna arrays of different array sizes taking into consideration of possible beam-steering operations, at frequencies ranging from 10 GHz to 100 GHz. The results are compared with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) requirements on the total radiated power (TRP) and EIRP levels. The present implications of the incident power density limits for 5G millimeter-wave UE will give valuable insights to mobile equipment manufacturers, network operators, and standardization bodies.