FCC ISM Rules May Shatter Lora Mesh Communities
4 hours ago
- Off-grid LoRa mesh networks like Meshtastic and MeshCore became popular due to low cost and no license requirement.
- Default radio configurations may violate FCC rules requiring minimum 500 kHz bandwidth, prompting compliance changes.
- New compliant settings break compatibility with existing networks, fragmenting the community into different configurations.
- Debate arose over whether FCC regulation 15.247 applies, with some arguing it only covers frequency hopping or higher power devices.
- Philly Mesh testing found the 500 kHz mode suffers from interference and hardware issues, leading them to switch to MeshCore.
- The situation mirrors past regulatory crackdowns on drones and e-scooters, with concerns that non-compliance could invite FCC bans.