A region-by-region table of the license-free sub-GHz bands used by LoRa, ISM and SRD devices: 433 MHz (ITU Region 1 only), 868 MHz (Europe), 902-928 MHz (US), 470-510 MHz (China), 920 MHz (Japan), plus the LoRaWAN regional channel plans.
| Band | Frequency range | Where it applies | Power limit | Duty cycle / access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 433 MHz | 433.05–434.79 MHz | ITU Region 1 only (Europe, Africa, most of Asia). Not an ISM allocation in North America | 10 mW ERP (≈12.15 dBm EIRP) for non-specific SRD in Europe | ≤10 % duty cycle, or LBT + AFA | Short allocation (1.74 MHz); fine for telemetry, crowded for dense networks |
| 868 MHz | 863–870 MHz | Europe (CEPT/ECC). Formally an SRD band, not an ITU ISM band — "868 ISM" is a nickname | 14 dBm ERP (25 mW, ≈16 dBm EIRP) on the main sub-bands; 869.4–869.65 MHz allows 27 dBm ERP (500 mW) | Sub-band duty cycle: 863–865 MHz 0.1 %; 865–868 MHz 1 %; 868.0–868.6 MHz 1 %; 868.7–869.2 MHz 0.1 %; 869.4–869.65 MHz 10 %; 869.7–870 MHz 1 % | The duty cycle applies to gateways too — downlink capacity is the usual bottleneck |
| 915 MHz | 902–928 MHz | United States (FCC), Canada, much of Latin America; mirrored by Australia 915–928 MHz | 1 W conducted (30 dBm); antenna gain up to 6 dBi → EIRP up to ≈36 dBm for fixed point-to-point under specific rules | No duty cycle limit; frequency-hopping systems: ≤0.4 s dwell per channel in a 20 s window | The most permissive regime of the three |
| China 470–510 MHz | 470–510 MHz | China, for civil metering and short-range micro-power devices | 50 mW ERP (≈17 dBm ERP / ≈19 dBm EIRP); PSD 50 mW/200 kHz when occupied bandwidth ≤200 kHz | No duty-cycle rule, but mandatory listen-before-talk that cannot be disabled, single transmission ≤1 s, one channel at a time | Occupied bandwidth ≤500 kHz; intended for building / residential / village-scale networks |
| Japan 920 MHz | 920.6–928.0 MHz typical for LoRa (statutory range 920.5–928.1 MHz) | Japan (MIC / ARIB STD-T108) | EIRP ≤16 dBm for conventional equipment (20 mW antenna power + 3 dBi antenna gain). Higher power classes exist for specific equipment categories — confirm the applicable class with your certifier | Mandatory carrier sense; transmission time limiter | 200 kHz channel grid |
| India 865–867 MHz | 865–867 MHz | India (WPC/DoT, licence-exempt) | 30 dBm EIRP (1 W) | No duty cycle limit under the LoRaWAN plan | Confirm bandwidth and PSD conditions with current WPC documents |
| Australia 915–928 MHz | 915–928 MHz | Australia (ACMA LIPD class licence) | LoRaWAN AU915 default max EIRP +30 dBm | No duty cycle limit under the LoRaWAN plan | Confirm per-sub-band limits with current ACMA LIPD text |
A note on units: EIRP (dBm) ≈ ERP (dBm) + 2.15. Europe regulates in ERP, the US in conducted power plus antenna gain. Comparing a European ERP limit with an American EIRP number without converting is a common 2 dB error.
If you deploy LoRaWAN, the regional plan (RP002) dictates the channels, not just the band:
| Plan | Band | Default join channels | Duty cycle | Max EIRP | RX2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU868 | 863–870 MHz | 868.10 / 868.30 / 868.50 (+ 867.1 / 867.3 / 867.5 / 867.7 / 867.9 — 8 channels typical) | <1 % | +16 dBm | 869.525 MHz / DR0 |
| US915 | 902–928 MHz | 64 × 125 kHz uplink (902.3–914.9, 0.2 MHz steps) + 8 × 500 kHz; 8 × 500 kHz downlink (923.3–927.5) | None; ≤400 ms dwell per 125 kHz channel | +30 dBm | 923.3 MHz / DR8 |
| AU915 | 915–928 MHz | 64 × 125 kHz uplink (915.2–927.8); downlink 923.3–927.5 | None | +30 dBm | 923.3 MHz / DR8 |
| CN470 | 470–510 MHz | 96 × 200 kHz uplink (470.3–489.3); 48 × 200 kHz downlink (500.3–509.7). Deployments often use only the first channels | None under RP002; Chinese rules require LBT and ≤1 s transmissions | ≈+19 dBm | Confirm against RP002 for your build |
| AS923-1 (Japan) | 920.6–928.0 MHz actual | 923.20 / 923.40 | <1 % + 400 ms dwell; LBT mandatory in Japan | +16 dBm | 923.2 MHz / DR2 |
| IN865 | 865–867 MHz | 865.0625 / 865.4025 / 865.985 | None | +30 dBm | 866.550 MHz / DR2 |
| KR920 | 920.9–923.3 MHz | 922.10 / 922.30 / 922.50 | LBT | +14 dBm | 921.90 MHz / DR0 |
| RU864 | 864–870 MHz | 868.9 / 869.1 | <1 % | +16 dBm | 869.1 MHz / DR0 |
| EU433 | 433.05–434.79 MHz | 433.175 / 433.375 / 433.575 | <10 % | +12 dBm | 434.665 MHz / DR0 |
Two deployment traps worth knowing:
1. US915 sub-bands. The 64 uplink channels are grouped into 8 sub-bands. If a device's channel mask does not match the gateway's sub-band, the device joins and then goes silent — the classic "joined but never heard again" fault. 2. EU868 downlink scarcity. The 1 % duty cycle binds the gateway as well. A single SF12 downlink frame over 1 s can force roughly 100× that time in silence on that sub-band.
| Design target | Band to specify | Antenna implication |
|---|---|---|
| Europe only | 863–870 MHz | Tune for 868 MHz centre; check the whole band if you use 869.4–869.65 MHz at 500 mW |
| North America only | 902–928 MHz | 26 MHz of spectrum — the antenna must hold VSWR across the full range |
| China metering | 470–510 MHz | 40 MHz span; a 433 MHz antenna will not cover it — specify 470 MHz explicitly |
| Japan | 920–928 MHz | Distinct from both 868 and 915; do not assume a "900 MHz" antenna covers it |
| Global SKU | 863–928 MHz | One wideband antenna (≈7 % fractional bandwidth) or a region-specific variant; see the LoRa selection guide |
Beware the "433/868/915 MHz antenna" claim: a single element that truly covers 433–928 MHz is a compromise across more than an octave. Many such parts cover 868–915 well and 433 poorly. Ask for VSWR and efficiency plots across each band separately.
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Regulatory limits vary by country and change over time. The values above reflect the cited standards as of October 2026. Always confirm with your local regulator — and with your certification house — before deployment.
Contact: Mr.Li
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