868 MHz — Band & Applications
📡
Frequency
868 MHz
Frequency
868 MHz
🧭
Range
851–869 MHz
Range
851–869 MHz
🧩
Band Group
UHF (300–1000 MHz)
Band Group
UHF (300–1000 MHz)
🌐 Summary
868 MHz: Public Safety and Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) downlink paired with 806–824 MHz uplink; Mobile, Fixed; Narrowband/Trunked LMR downlinks; LTE/NR smartphones, legacy GSM/CDMA devices; home automation mesh (sensors, switches); LPWAN sensors/meters/trackers; inventory, access control, asset tracking; utility metering, AMI backhaul
📚 Explore the full RF Spectrum database
📡 Band & Geometry key
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Wavelength (m) | 0.346 |
| Waveforms | Analog/digital PMR, P25, TETRA, LTE, 5G NR |
| Antenna Form Factor (Typical) | ¼-wave ≈ 8.64 cm |
| Band Family | LMR/Public Safety |
| Band | 800 MHz Public Safety / SMR — Downlink |
| Primary Common Name | Public Safety / SMR DL |
| FSPL @ 1 km [dB] | 91.21039450353 |
| FSPL @ 10 km [dB] | 111.21039450353 |
| Fresnel Radius @ 1 km (m) | 9.2951848195446 |
| Band Group | UHF (300–1000 MHz) |
| Tax Band Family | UHF |
| Tax Band Class | 800/850 MHz Cellular & SMR (806–896) |
🧩 Applications & Usage
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Primary Application | Public Safety and Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) downlink paired with 806–824 MHz uplink |
| Lower Neighbor Use | No adjacent allocation defined |
| Upper Neighbor Use | Cellular 850 (CLR) — Downlink |
| Typical Services Devices | Narrowband/Trunked LMR downlinks |
| Market Common Devices | LTE/NR smartphones, legacy GSM/CDMA devices |
| Refarming Use | No |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Medium (100–1000 models) |
| Device Hotspots (MHz) | 868.40; 868.1/868.3/868.5 |
| Device Category | Home Automation (Z-Wave); LoRa / LoRaWAN; UHF RFID (EPC Gen2); Smart Meter / RFLAN |
| Typical Use Cases | home automation mesh (sensors, switches); LPWAN sensors/meters/trackers; inventory, access control, asset tracking; utility metering, AMI backhaul |
| Modulation (Device) | GFSK; LoRa (CSS); Reader: ASK/PR-ASK; Tag: backscatter; FSK/O-QPSK (802.15.4g) |
| Channel Width (Device) [kHz] | ~100; 125–500; 200–500; 50–200 |
| Device Region Profiles | US: 908–916; EU: 868.4; AU/NZ: ~921; EU: 868; US: 902–928; AU/NZ: 915–928; AS923 variants; EU 865–868; US 902–928; US 902–928; EU 868 |
| Per-Region EIRP Or Duty (Device) | EU ≤14 dBm EIRP; US varies by hopping/dwell; EU ≤14 dBm; US up to 30 dBm class (gateway); EU ≤33 dBm EIRP; US up to 36 dBm EIRP (typical); Region-specific; low duty at endpoints |
| Allocation Relevance (Device) | ISM/SRD allocations allow low-power HA; ISM LPWAN allocations; SRD/ISM allocations; ISM allocations enable fixed network |
| Adjacent-Band Collision Risks (Device) | 915 MHz congestion with LoRa/Smart meters/RFID; 915 MHz overlaps Z-Wave/RFID/smart meters; Collision with LoRa/Z-Wave/smart meters in 915 band; 915 MHz congestion with LoRa/RFID/Z-Wave |
| Example Devices Or Skus | Cellular (2G/3G Legacy Devices) |
| Common Protocols | LoRa (868 MHz); Sigfox (regional); Short-Range Devices (SRD); wM-Bus (868 MHz); LTE; 5G NR; GSM/EDGE; UMTS (legacy); Analog FM (12.5 kHz); DMR; P25 (region); TETRA (region) |
🗒️ Notes
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Receiver Selectivity Notes | – |
| Interference Notes | Adjacent cellular downlinks; filtering needed |
| Compatibility Risk Notes | – |
| Notes | 800 MHz public safety/SMR base transmit (851–869 MHz): trunked P25/DMR/SMR systems; outcomes of 800‑MHz rebanding reflected here. |
| Propagation Notes | Strong coverage, good indoor penetration |
⚙️ Technical Rules
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Lower Band Frequency Limit | 851 |
| Upper Band Frequency Limit | 869 |
| EIRP Indoor Limits | Base stations per license |
| EIRP Outdoor Limits | Base EIRP per license (high) |
| PSD Limit | — |
| Emission Mask Class | LMR/SMR trunked |
| Guardband Minimum [kHz] | 12.5 |
| Typical Bandwidths | 5, 10, 20 MHz |
| Autocalculated Bandlimits | No |
| Typical Bandwidths (Estimated) | 5, 10, 20 MHz |
| Max EIRP [dBm] | EU ≤14 dBm EIRP; US varies by hopping/dwell; EU ≤14 dBm; US up to 30 dBm class (gateway); EU ≤33 dBm EIRP; US up to 36 dBm EIRP (typical); Region-specific; low duty at endpoints |
| Power Source Or Duty Profile (Typical) | Mains or coin-cell depending on node; Battery sensors; mains gateways; Mains readers; passive tags; Mains-powered endpoints and relays |
| Channelization Plan | 5, 10, 20 MHz |
| Channelization | 25 kHz (legacy); 12.5 kHz narrowband; LTE/NR blocks |
| Guard Band Requirement | – |
| OOB Emission Limit [dBm/MHz] | -13 (baseline) |
| Spurious Emission Limit (dBm) | -30 (baseline) |
| RX Blocking Min [dBm] | -15 (planning) |
| Duplexing | FDD |
| Duplexing Information | FDD: 806–824 MHz (PS/SMR UL) uplink / 851–869 MHz (PS/SMR DL) downlink |
| Uplink Pairing | 806–824 MHz (PS/SMR UL) |
| Downlink Pairing | 851–869 MHz (PS/SMR DL) |
| Paired Band Info | – |
| Max EIRP [dBm] | – |
| Channelization Block Size | – |
| 3GPP Band Number | |
| Example 3GPP Bands | – |
| LTE Uplink Bands | – |
| LTE Downlink Bands | Band 26 |
| NR Uplink Bands | – |
| NR Downlink Bands | n26 |
| Guard Bands | – |
| Protocol Or Standard | Z-Wave / Z-Wave Plus; LoRaWAN; EPC Gen2 / ISO 18000-6C; Proprietary FHSS / IEEE 802.15.4g |
🌎 Country Overrides
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Post Status | publish |
| Tax Service Category | Other / Various |
| Tax License Type | Licensed / Service-Specific |
| Tax Regions | Global / Varies |
| ITU Region 1 | Mobile, Fixed |
| ITU Region 2 | Mobile, Fixed |
| ITU Region 3 | Mobile, Fixed |
| License Type | Licensed public safety / SMR |
| Primary Application | Public Safety and Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) downlink paired with 806–824 MHz uplink |
| Primary Services | Mobile, Fixed |
| Spurious Emission [dBm] | -30 (baseline) |
| Lower Neighbor Use | No adjacent allocation defined |
| Upper Neighbor Use | Cellular 850 (CLR) — Downlink |
| Licensing Model | Licensed (Public safety / LMR) |
| Typical Services Devices | Narrowband/Trunked LMR downlinks |
| US FCC Alloc | Public Safety / LMR (Downlink)– |
| CA IC Alloc | Public Safety / LMR (Downlink)– |
| UK Ofcom Alloc | LMR (regional)– |
| US Ref | 47 CFR Part 90 (Private Land Mobile) |
| Typical Bandwidths | 5, 10, 20 MHz |
| Market Licensing Model | Auctioned (IMT) |
| Market Common Devices | LTE/NR smartphones, legacy GSM/CDMA devices |
| Fresnel Radius (1st, 1 km) [m] | 9.2951848195446 |
| Typical Bandwidths (Estimated) | 5, 10, 20 MHz |
| Auction Status | – |
| Refarming Use | No |
| Typical Site Spacing km | 2 / 8 |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Medium (100–1000 models) |
| Traffic Load Share | Coverage-heavy, low capacity share |
| Device Hotspots (MHz) | 868.40; 868.1/868.3/868.5 |
| Device Category | Home Automation (Z-Wave); LoRa / LoRaWAN; UHF RFID (EPC Gen2); Smart Meter / RFLAN |
| Typical Use Cases | home automation mesh (sensors, switches); LPWAN sensors/meters/trackers; inventory, access control, asset tracking; utility metering, AMI backhaul |
| Typical Center Frequencies [MHz] | US 908.42; EU 868.40; AU/NZ 921.40; EU 868 (125 kHz); US 915 (125/500 kHz); EU 433; EU 865–868; US 902–928; 902–928 (US); 868 (EU) |
| Rule Part (Fcc Or Region) | FCC Part 15.247; ETSI EN 300 220; FCC Part 15.247; ETSI EN 302 208 |
| Modulation (Device) | GFSK; LoRa (CSS); Reader: ASK/PR-ASK; Tag: backscatter; FSK/O-QPSK (802.15.4g) |
| Channel Width (Device) [kHz] | ~100; 125–500; 200–500; 50–200 |
| Device Region Profiles | US: 908–916; EU: 868.4; AU/NZ: ~921; EU: 868; US: 902–928; AU/NZ: 915–928; AS923 variants; EU 865–868; US 902–928; US 902–928; EU 868 |
| Per-Region EIRP Or Duty (Device) | EU ≤14 dBm EIRP; US varies by hopping/dwell; EU ≤14 dBm; US up to 30 dBm class (gateway); EU ≤33 dBm EIRP; US up to 36 dBm EIRP (typical); Region-specific; low duty at endpoints |
| Allocation Relevance (Device) | ISM/SRD allocations allow low-power HA; ISM LPWAN allocations; SRD/ISM allocations; ISM allocations enable fixed network |
| Adjacent-Band Collision Risks (Device) | 915 MHz congestion with LoRa/Smart meters/RFID; 915 MHz overlaps Z-Wave/RFID/smart meters; Collision with LoRa/Z-Wave/smart meters in 915 band; 915 MHz congestion with LoRa/RFID/Z-Wave |
| Example Devices Or Skus | Cellular (2G/3G Legacy Devices) |
| Antenna Form Factor (Typical) | ¼-wave ≈ 8.64 cm |
| Power Source Or Duty Profile (Typical) | Mains or coin-cell depending on node; Battery sensors; mains gateways; Mains readers; passive tags; Mains-powered endpoints and relays |
🛡️ Regulatory & Neighbors
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Lower Band Frequency Limit | 851 |
| Upper Band Frequency Limit | 869 |
| Rx Blocking Min dBm | -15 (planning) |
| Lower Neighbor Use | No adjacent allocation defined |
| Upper Neighbor Use | Cellular 850 (CLR) — Downlink |
| Lower Neighbor Band | Cellular 850 (CLR) — Uplink (segment) |
| Lower Neighbor Range | 836.000–849.000 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Label | Cellular 850 (CLR) — Downlink |
| Upper Neighbor Range | 870.000–894.000 MHz |
| Adjacent-Band Collision Risks (Device) | 915 MHz congestion with LoRa/Smart meters/RFID; 915 MHz overlaps Z-Wave/RFID/smart meters; Collision with LoRa/Z-Wave/smart meters in 915 band; 915 MHz congestion with LoRa/RFID/Z-Wave |
| Real-World Range (Indoor/Outdoor) | Indoor 10–30 m (node to node); mesh extends coverage; Urban 1–3 km; Suburban 2–10 km; Rural 10–20+ km; Gates/portals up to several meters; handheld shorter; Urban street-scale mesh; hub range hundreds of meters |
| US FCC Alloc | Public Safety / LMR (Downlink)Public Safety / LMR (Downlink) |
| CA IC Alloc | Public Safety / LMR (Downlink)Public Safety / LMR (Downlink) |
| UK Ofcom Alloc | LMR (regional)LMR (regional) |
| Regulatory References | US: 47 CFR Part 90 (Private Land Mobile); CA: ISED RSS‑119 (Land Mobile 27.41–960 MHz); UK: Ofcom PMR/Business Radio (UK FAT) |
| Global Harmonization | Global |
| Crossborder Coordination | High |
| Sharing Mechanism | – |
| Auction Status | – |
| Guard Or Pair | – |
📈 Market & Measurements
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Noise Floor | -110 dBm (est.) |
| Interference Cases | – |
| Lower Neighbor Range | 836.000–849.000 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Range | 870.000–894.000 MHz |
| Interference Notes | Adjacent cellular downlinks; filtering needed |
| Market Licensing Model | Auctioned (IMT) |
| Market Commercial Value | High-value IMT band |
| Market Common Devices | LTE/NR smartphones, legacy GSM/CDMA devices |
| Market Deployment Density | Dense urban, broad rural coverage |
| Noise Floor (Estimated) | -110 dBm (est.) |
| Market Commercial Value (Estimated) | High-value IMT band |
| Ecosystem Maturity | Emerging |
| Indoor Penetration | Good |
| Known Interference | No major interference issues noted |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Medium (100–1000 models) |
| Real-World Range (Indoor/Outdoor) | Indoor 10–30 m (node to node); mesh extends coverage; Urban 1–3 km; Suburban 2–10 km; Rural 10–20+ km; Gates/portals up to several meters; handheld shorter; Urban street-scale mesh; hub range hundreds of meters |
| Antenna Form Factor (Typical) | ¼-wave ≈ 8.64 cm |
| Ecosystem Maturity | Emerging |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Medium (100–1000 models) |
| Chipset Availability | Specialized vendors (Motorola, Airbus) |
| Operator Deployments | Regional/national public safety agencies |
| Technology Generations Deployed | LMR / TETRA digital voice |
| Roaming Support | No |
| Traffic Load Share | Coverage-heavy, low capacity share |
| Indoor Penetration | Good |
| Known Interference | No major interference issues noted |
| Occupancy | Medium |
| Occupancy Bucket Pct | 10–30% |
| Latency Profile | – |
| Common Channels Or Profiles | US: 908–916; EU: 868.4; AU/NZ: ~921; EU868: 863–870; US915: 902–928; EU433: 433.05–434.79; Reader channels regional; listen-before-talk in EU; FHSS sub-bands; utility-specific profiles |
| Security Features | AES-128 (S2); AES-128 network/app keys; Reader–tag security varies by generation; AES-128 or stronger (utility) |
| Lbt Or Fhss Requirement | Region dependent (LBT in EU; hopping/dwell in US); EU: LBT/duty-cycle; US: hopping/dwell; EU: LBT; US: hopping/dwell; FHSS/LBT as region requires |
| Popularity (Installed Base) | High |
| Coexistence Tips | Spread nodes; avoid metal enclosures; choose less-crowded channels; Use sub-band plans; ADR; avoid continuous beacons; Directional antennas; duty limits; channel planning; Antenna height; avoid same sub-band as neighbors |
| Latency Class | Low/Interactive; Not critical / ALOHA; Low/Interactive (reader-driven); Not critical / scheduled |
| Device Hotspots (Scoped && Tagged) | EU (Region 1): 868.4 |
