In a boon for satellite-powered internet of things (IoT) in Europe, the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) has approved a regulatory framework for satellite-to-device communications over the 862-870 MHz short-range band.
The decision overcomes a major hurdle for long range wide area network (LoRaWAN)-based satellite services in Europe.
The approval of the framework comes after years of collaboration between the LoRa Alliance and European regulators. The regulations would establish clear guidelines for the use of SRD spectrum by satellite systems communicating with LPD-S terminals on the ground.
This would facilitate the deployment of satellite services designed to support LoRaWAN applications in areas such as:
- Logistics
- Agriculture
- Environmental monitoring
- 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.”
