[Feature Request]: Add Philippines (PH) - AS923-3 (915-918 Mhz) LoRa Region Setting

[markbirss]

Platform

ESP32

Description

There is currently no region setting for Philippines (PH) using AS923-3 (915-918 Mhz, 25mW)

https://www.reddit.com/r/HeliumNetwork/comments/m8ljdd/anyone_running_a_hotspot_in_the_philippines/ The 434/868 Mhz frequencies are not free

https://lora-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/RP-2-1.0.3.pdf Page 16 of 94

[andrekir]

Unfortunately LoRa Alliance often has bad information.

From the gov agency in charge of regulations in the Philippines (NTC):

• LORAWAN FREQUENCIES AVAILABLE IN THE PHILIPPINES (no mention of 915-918MHz)

Same docs below are referenced in other responses about LoRa:

• MC-03-06-2017.pdf
• MC 03-05-2007 FREQUENCY BANDS FOR THE USE AND OPERATION OF.pdf

There's also an unanswered request specific to AS923-3 availability:

• Approved LORAWAN Frequency in the Ph following the recent approved Freq by LoRa alliance

[markbirss]

@andrekir

Ok, thus "03-06-2017" Memorandum applies and confirms the actual LoRa frequency allocation, should we have a PH region setting or we would simply use EU868 ?

868.000-868.600 (25 mW erp) 868.700-869.200 (25 mW erp) 869.300-869.700 (25 mW erp) 869.700-870.000 (5 mW erp)

https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/files/12506777/MC-03-06-2017.pdf

Other findings: It appears the PH Helium interest group have adopted this same incorrect AS923-3 (915-918) band...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOBZkBINjlM https://github.com/helium/miner/blob/master/priv/countries_reg_domains.csv https://github.com/helium/miner/commit/fb3462e4bd4123074c21b1f5f561209cf522c62d

PH	12.879721	121.774017	Philippines	AS923_3	zone1

[andrekir]

yes, PH would need it's own unique region.

[CrimsonLustMUFM]

Open and unprotected radio frequency bands in the Philippines MC-03-08-2013

https://region7.ntc.gov.ph/images/LawsRulesAndRegulations/MC/WDN/MC_03-08-2013.pdf

Edit: Also there are registration fees for indoor equipment and annual fees for outdoor equipment

Indoor: P50 (MC-03-08-2013 Section 6.1)

Outdoor: P500 (MC-09-09-2003 Section 6.3.1)

MC's and MO's https://region7.ntc.gov.ph/index.php/laws-rules-regulations#memorandum-circulars

[markbirss]

@CrimsonLustMUFM

Yes, so these regulations in paper were superseded by the later publication - https://github.com/meshtastic/firmware/files/12506777/MC-03-06-2017.pdf

yet the helium roll-out using AS923-3

[caveman99]

maybe @beegee-tokyo has some insight into this?

[beegee-tokyo]

All I know is that AS923-3 is the ISM band for Philippines and no-one is paying any fee for devices (beside of the fact that 50PHP and 500PHP are really not much money). There is one company here that is using EU868 for their private LoRaWAN network. They have a quite good coverage and selling usage of their network to customers.

[j3ffrw]

Hi @markbirss,

Good day does MC-03-06-2017.pdf do supersede MC-03-08-2013? because it only mentioned "Non-specific SRD,telemetry ... etc" while 915-918MHz mentioned in MC_09-09-2003 in is under H(I/Y)PERLAN/RLAN or Wireless data networks. MC-01-02-2013. I might have misunderstand how this MC amends works though if this a union or difference. I am interested in getting the frequency right before purchasing my first meshtastic device.

Regards,

Jeff

[markbirss]

@j3ffrw

Where abouts are you based in PH ?

it could/would help if you could follow up with the relevant bodies mentioned in the documents, I only visited Nov 2023 and hoped to have some finality then but could not get it.

The legal Helium use according to these documents has not been published everywhere else

Regarding a purchase as long as you buy a High Freq Device (868-923) device you should not have issue setting it up in that range one the preset is corrected. (might need to swap out antenna from 868 to 915-923)

[j3ffrw]

hi @markbirss ,

Thanks for the advice and tips on the device, yes I'm in PH let me see what I can do to get a formal stance of NTC on AS932-3.

Regards, Jeff