RSM New Zealand issues LoRaWAN licence compliance reminder

Radio Spectrum Management New Zealand has issued a reminder regarding LoRaWAN compliance with General User Radio Licence (GURL) conditions.

LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power wireless technology widely used by battery-powered sensors that transmit small amounts of data at low data rates. These characteristics enable high receiver sensitivity allowing for communications over considerable distances while using very low transmit power, making the technology well suited to frequency bands covered by the Short Range Devices (SRD) GURL.

All LoRaWAN transmissions operating under a GURL must comply with the applicable GURL conditions for both data transmissions and device activation (join) transmissions. For devices using the European 868 MHz band plan, join requests typically occur on 868.1, 868.3 and 868.5 MHz. To comply with the New Zealand SRD GURL, transmissions on these specific frequencies must not exceed the permitted EIRP limit of 3 dBm (-27 dBW).

Devices operating in the 915–928 MHz band must also comply with the relevant SRD GURL requirements, including Special Condition 23.

All conditions included in GURLs are prescribed to protect other licensed radio services from harmful interference. It is essential for the long-term sustainability of the radio spectrum that these conditions are complied with.

Before this equipment is supplied in New Zealand, suppliers must ensure it bears the required R-NZ radio label and that a completed Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) is in place.

Further information can be found at:

• Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices) Notice 2022 (New Zealand Gazette)
• Radiocommunications (Compliance) Notice 2020 (New Zealand Gazette)
• Radiocommunications (Radio Standards) Notice 2025 (New Zealand Gazette)
   

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