The LoRa Alliance recently announced that the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) has officially approved the Decision ECC DEC(25)021, confirming the regulatory framework enabling satellite-to-low power device communication with satellites (LPD-S) communications within the short-range device (SRD) 862-870MHz frequency band in Europe.
This landmark decision, finalised during the ECC’s June meeting, represents a significant advancement in enabling innovative satellite-based LPWAN IoT solutions, particularly LoRaWAN, across Europe.
The approval is the result of a years-long collaboration between the LoRa Alliance and European regulators. The new regulations set out clear guidelines for the use of SRD spectrum by satellite systems communicating with LPD-S terminals on the ground. It is anticipated to facilitate the deployment of satellite services designed to support LoRaWAN applications in areas such as logistics, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and remote asset management.
“Advocating for LoRaWAN technology and spectrum access is one of the Alliance’s main objectives,” said Alper Yegin, CEO of the LoRa Alliance. “Maintaining open and available frequency bands is key to our members’ ability to build businesses based on the open LoRaWAN wide area networking standard. It is validating to have a formal regulatory framework in place to guide future deployments. We extend our thanks to our members who have tirelessly advocated to secure this formal regulatory framework, ensuring broad access for satellite IoT solutions.”
Key highlights of the decision include:
- Satellite-to-LPDS communications are now harmonised in the 862-870MHz SRD band
- The framework ensures coexistence with existing terrestrial SRD users while opening new avenues for non-terrestrial network (NTN) deployments
- LoRa Alliance initiatives in Europe contributed to comprehensive studies and to stakeholders’ consultations conducted by ECC
“This is a crucial step toward fostering innovation in the growing IoT sector. By enabling LPD-S devices to communicate with satellites within harmonised SRD spectrum, we unlock new possibilities for a wide range of technologies for reliable, low-power connectivity – even in remote or underserved regions,” said Chris Seifert, Chairwoman, ECC.
“The LoRa Alliance thanks all regulators from the ECC for their prompt actions and decisions enabling LPD-S devices to communicate with satellite within the harmonized SRD 862-870MHz band,” said Olivier Beaujard, LoRa Alliance Regulatory Working Group Chair and Chairman of the Board. “The decision unlocks new opportunities for reliable, low-power LoRaWAN applications regardless of geographic location or deployed terrestrial infrastructure.”
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