If you're deploying LoRaWAN in Europe, understanding the frequency regulations isn't optional. LoRaWAN operates in unlicensed spectrum, which means you don't need a radio licence, but you must comply with the rules that govern how that spectrum is used. Getting this wrong can result in regulatory issues, but more practically, it can degrade the performance of your entire network.
EU868: The European LoRaWAN Band
In Europe, LoRaWAN operates in the 863-870 MHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band, commonly referred to as EU868. This spectrum is regulated by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) under the EN 300 220 standard and the CEPT Recommendation 70-03.
The EU868 band is divided into several sub-bands, each with its own maximum transmit power and duty cycle limitations. This is fundamentally different from regions like the US (US915), where a wider frequency band is available with different rules.
Sub-Band Allocation
ETSI EN 300 220-2 divides the 863–870 MHz range into six sub-bands, each designated by a letter. The sub-bands relevant to LoRaWAN are:
| Sub-Band | Frequency Range | Max ERP | Duty Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | 863.0 – 865.0 MHz | 25 mW (14 dBm) | 0.1% |
| L | 865.0 – 868.0 MHz | 25 mW (14 dBm) | 1% |
| M | 868.0 – 868.6 MHz | 25 mW (14 dBm) | 1% |
| N | 868.7 – 869.2 MHz | 25 mW (14 dBm) | 0.1% |
| P | 869.4 – 869.65 MHz | 500 mW (27 dBm) | 10% |
| Q | 869.7 – 870.0 MHz | 25 mW (14 dBm) | 1% |
ERP = Effective Radiated Power. The LoRaWAN specification uses EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power), where the maximum is +16 dBm (40 mW). EIRP ≈ ERP + 2.15 dBi antenna gain.
The M sub-band (868.0–868.6 MHz) is where the three mandatory LoRaWAN uplink channels sit: 868.1, 868.3, and 868.5 MHz. Every LoRaWAN end device must implement these channels, and all gateways must listen on them. The five additional channels at 867.1–867.9 MHz fall within the L sub-band (1% duty cycle). Note that the K sub-band (863–865 MHz) has a much stricter 0.1% duty cycle, which limits its usefulness for LoRaWAN traffic.
The Full EU868 Channel Plan
While only three channels are mandatory, a standard EU868 deployment uses eight LoRa channels plus one FSK channel. The additional channels are configured by the network server during the OTAA join procedure:
| Channel | Frequency | Sub-Band | Data Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ★ | 868.1 MHz | M (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 2 ★ | 868.3 MHz | M (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 3 ★ | 868.5 MHz | M (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 4 | 867.1 MHz | L (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 5 | 867.3 MHz | L (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 6 | 867.5 MHz | L (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 7 | 867.7 MHz | L (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 8 | 867.9 MHz | L (1%) | SF7–SF12 / 125 kHz |
| 9 | 868.8 MHz | N (0.1%) | FSK 50 kbps |
★ = mandatory default channel. Channels 4–9 are configured by the network server after a successful OTAA join.
For downlinks, gateways use the same uplink channels for the RX1 receive window. The RX2 receive window uses a dedicated frequency of 869.525 MHz at SF12/125 kHz, which sits in the P sub-band. This is significant because the P sub-band allows 500 mW transmit power and a 10% duty cycle, giving gateways substantially more downlink capacity on this frequency.
Duty Cycle: The Most Misunderstood Regulation
Duty cycle is the single most important regulation affecting LoRaWAN in Europe, and the most frequently misunderstood. It specifies the maximum percentage of time a device can transmit within a given sub-band over any rolling one-hour period.
A 1% duty cycle in the M sub-band means a device can transmit for a maximum of 36 seconds per hour. This sounds limiting, but LoRaWAN transmissions are extremely short. A typical uplink at SF7 (the fastest spreading factor) takes around 50 milliseconds. Even at SF12 (the slowest, longest-range setting), a single transmission is roughly 1.5 seconds. This means a sensor sending a reading every 15 minutes uses only a fraction of the available duty cycle.
Where duty cycle becomes critical is on the gateway side. Gateways transmit downlink messages (acknowledgements, configuration commands, join accepts) and must stay within the duty cycle limits of whichever sub-band they're transmitting on. For networks with many devices requiring confirmed uplinks, the gateway's downlink capacity can become a bottleneck.
Why Frequency Configuration Matters
A gateway misconfigured with the wrong frequency plan can cause several problems. If it's set to channels outside the EU868 allocation, it won't receive any sensor traffic. If it's configured without the additional recommended channels, it misses traffic spread across the full channel plan. And if downlink parameters are wrong, devices can't join the network or receive acknowledgements.
We've seen deployments where gateways were accidentally configured for US915 instead of EU868, or where custom channel plans were partially applied, creating intermittent connectivity that was extremely difficult to diagnose.
How Managed Gateways Handle Compliance
With a managed gateway service, frequency configuration is not your problem. Every gateway ships with the correct EU868 frequency plan pre-loaded and validated. The channel plan, transmit power limits, and duty cycle parameters are all managed centrally and can be updated across the fleet via OTA if regulations change.
This is more than convenience. When ETSI updates the EN 300 220 standard or national regulators introduce country-specific variations, a managed service can push the required changes to every affected gateway automatically. Self-managed fleets need to identify the change, update their configuration tooling, test the new parameters, and roll them out, a process that can take weeks or months.
Country-Specific Variations
While EU868 is the common framework, some European countries have additional requirements or allowances. For example, certain countries permit higher transmit power in specific sub-bands, or have additional notification requirements for network deployments. The EU harmonised standard provides the baseline, but deployers should verify national regulations, particularly for large-scale commercial networks.
Key Takeaways
- →LoRaWAN in Europe uses the EU868 band (863–870 MHz), divided into six ETSI sub-bands (K, L, M, N, P, Q) with different power and duty cycle limits.
- →Duty cycle limits vary by sub-band: 0.1% for K and N, 1% for L, M, and Q, and 10% for the high-power P sub-band.
- →Correct frequency plan configuration is essential for network reliability.
- →Gateway downlink duty cycle is often the real capacity constraint.
- →Managed gateways handle frequency compliance automatically, including regulatory updates.
Frequency compliance isn't exciting, but misconfiguration is one of the most common causes of LoRaWAN deployment failures. A managed service eliminates this category of risk entirely. Get in touch if you have questions about deploying LoRaWAN in your region.
Compliance handled for you
Every EdgePilot gateway ships with the correct EU868 frequency plan pre-configured and maintained via OTA updates.
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