LoRa / ISM Band Frequencies by Region
Sub-GHz ISM band table for LoRaWAN regions — frequencies, power limits, duty cycles — plus a duty-cycle message budget calculator.
Sub-GHz ISM bands by LoRaWAN region
A summary of the common regional plans. Sub-bands differ (EU868 also has 0.1% and 10% sub-bands), AS923 constraints vary by country, andregulations evolve — verify against current local rules before shipping a product.
| Region | Frequencies (MHz) | Max power (typ.) | TX constraint | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (EU868) | 863–870 | 16 dBm | 1% duty cycle | 1% duty in the common sub-band; 0.1% and 10% (869.4–869.65, 27 dBm) sub-bands also exist |
| USA (US915) | 902–928 | 30 dBm | 400 ms dwell | No duty-cycle limit; 400 ms max dwell per channel with frequency hopping |
| Europe 433 (EU433) | 433.05–434.79 | 12.15 dBm | 10% duty cycle | Low power; mostly legacy/regional use |
| Australia (AU915) | 915–928 | 30 dBm | 400 ms dwell | Follows the US-style hopping plan |
| Asia (AS923) | 920–923 | 16 dBm | Listen-before-talk | Exact range and constraint vary by country — Japan requires listen-before-talk |
| India (IN865) | 865–867 | 30 dBm | No duty limit | No duty-cycle limit under the common plan |
| South Korea (KR920) | 920.9–923.3 | 14 dBm | Listen-before-talk | Listen-before-talk required |
| China (CN470) | 470–510 | 19.15 dBm | No duty limit | Wide band; plan details vary by deployment |
| Russia (RU864) | 864–870 | 16 dBm | 1% duty cycle | Duty-cycle limited sub-bands |
Duty cycles, dwell time, and LBT
Sub-GHz ISM bands are shared, so each region rations transmit time differently. Europe caps the duty cycle — at 1%, a node may transmit 36 seconds per hour, total, across all messages. The US instead caps dwell time per channel (400 ms) and requires hopping, and parts of Asia require listen-before-talk.
messages/hour = (3600 s × duty) ÷ airtime per message
Duty cycle is usually the binding constraint for European LoRa designs at high spreading factors: at SF12, a 1% duty cycle allows barely one 51-byte message every four minutes — before the network's own fair-use policies, which are typically stricter still.
Related
Work out whether your link closes with theRF link budget andpath loss calculators, and what the messages cost in energy with thebattery life calculator.