Frequencies and regions
LoRa mesh radios use frequencies that different countries set aside for low-power, license-free devices. Those frequencies differ around the world, so radios are sold in versions for each band, and the firmware needs to know your region.
In the United States: 915 MHz
Section titled “In the United States: 915 MHz”The US license-free band is 902–928 MHz, often just called “915.” When you buy a radio in the US, pick the 915 MHz (sometimes labeled 900 MHz or US915) version. The US band has no duty-cycle limit in the firmware, unlike Europe.
Around the world
Section titled “Around the world”These are the most common regions in Meshtastic’s firmware table. The power column is the firmware’s ceiling, not your country’s legal limit.
| Region code | Where | Frequencies (MHz) | Duty cycle | Firmware power cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
US |
United States | 902.0–928.0 | 100% | 30 dBm |
ANZ |
Australia & New Zealand | 915.0–928.0 | 100% | 30 dBm |
EU_868 |
European Union | 869.4–869.65 | 10% | 27 dBm |
EU_433 |
European Union | 433.0–434.0 | 10% | 10 dBm |
IN |
India | 865.0–867.0 | 100% | 30 dBm |
JP |
Japan | 920.5–923.5 | 100% | 13 dBm |
KR |
Korea | 920.0–923.0 | 100% | 23 dBm |
BR_902 |
Brazil | 902.0–907.5 | 100% | 30 dBm |
CN |
China | 470.0–510.0 | 100% | 19 dBm |
LORA_24 |
Worldwide 2.4 GHz | 2400–2483.5 | 100% | 10 dBm |
Meshtastic’s documentation lists about 35 region codes in total, including amateur-radio bands that need a license.
Go deeper: duty cycle and dBm
- Duty cycle is the share of time a radio may transmit. In the EU 868 band it’s 10%, measured over a rolling hour, so busy EU nodes can run out of airtime. The US band has no such cap in the firmware.
- dBm measures power on a log scale: 30 dBm is 1 watt, 20 dBm is 100 milliwatts, and every 3 dB roughly doubles or halves the power. Most handhelds transmit around 20–22 dBm.
- US rules for license-free 902–928 MHz devices are in FCC §15.247. See Legal basics.
Next: Range and antennas
Sources
Checked on October 18, 2026.