Swiss Radio Rules for LoRa, PMR446 and CB

Which radios you may use in Switzerland without a licence, and how much power you are allowed to transmit.

Switzerland is not in the EU, but its frequency plan follows the European (CEPT) harmonisation. The binding list is published by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM / BAKOM / OFCOM / UFCOM) as Annex 1 of the Ordinance on the Use of the Radio Frequency Spectrum (OUS / VNF / OOUS), version 8, valid since 1 January 2026. Everything on this page refers to that list unless stated otherwise.

This page is a practical summary written by the community, not legal advice. If in doubt, check the OFCOM documents linked at the bottom.

Quick answers

• Meshtastic and MeshCore on 868 MHz — licence-free, as long as you stay within 500 mW ERP and a 10 % duty cycle in the 869.400–869.650 MHz sub-band.
• Meshtastic set to the US region (915 MHz) — not allowed. Switzerland has no open 902–928 MHz band; only small slices around 915–918 MHz at 25–100 mW ERP exist.
• PMR446 walkie-talkies — licence-free, 500 mW ERP, fixed antenna.
• CB radio (27 MHz) — licence-free for voice since 1 January 2013: 4 W (AM/FM), 12 W PEP (SSB). Packet radio on CB still needs a callsign from OFCOM.
• Freenet (149 MHz), FRS/GMRS (462/467 MHz) — not permitted in Switzerland.
• More power, repeaters on 70 cm, APRS — you need an amateur radio licence (HB3 / HB9).

Licence-free bands relevant for mesh and handheld radio

RIR is the Swiss technical interface regulation that defines the detailed conditions (channel spacing, duty cycle, antenna rules) for each use. Bands between 868.6 and 869.4 MHz are reserved for alarms and social alarms — keep mesh traffic out of them.

The 869.4–869.65 MHz sub-band: what it means for Meshtastic and MeshCore

Both Meshtastic (region EU_868, default slot on 869.525 MHz) and MeshCore (the Swiss and European preset on 869.618 MHz) operate inside the one 868 MHz sub-band that allows 500 mW. Two limits apply:

1. Power: 500 mW ERP (27 dBm ERP). ERP is measured including the antenna gain. A board that outputs 27 dBm into a 5 dBi antenna is over the limit.
2. Duty cycle: 10 %. Under the harmonised European conditions for this sub-band, a device may transmit at most 10 % of the time, measured over one hour — about 6 minutes of airtime per hour.

What to do in practice:

• Meshtastic enforces the EU_868 duty cycle in firmware. Do not set the region to anything other than EU_868 (or EU_433 for 433 MHz boards).
• MeshCore repeaters and room servers should be set to a 10 % duty cycle: set dutycycle 10 (check with get dutycycle). See our MeshCore settings.
• Busy repeaters on hilltops hit the duty-cycle ceiling first. Keep advert intervals long and avoid unnecessary telemetry broadcasts.

How much transmit power is legal with your antenna?

The legal limit is 27 dBm ERP. ERP is referenced to a half-wave dipole (2.15 dBi). To find the maximum conducted power you may set on your radio:

max. TX power (dBm) = 27 + 2.15 − antenna gain (dBi) + cable and connector loss (dB)

Most SX1262-based boards (Heltec V3, RAK4631, T-Beam Supreme, Xiao) top out at 22 dBm, so with a typical 3–6 dBi antenna they are within the limit at full power. Boards with a built-in power amplifier (“1 W”, “2 W”, E22-900M30S and similar) can easily exceed 500 mW ERP — reduce the TX power accordingly.

Other licence-free radios

PMR446 walkie-talkies

PMR446 radios use 446.000–446.200 MHz with a maximum of 500 mW ERP. Current radios have 16 analogue channels (older ones only the first 8) plus digital dPMR/DMR tier 1 channels. The antenna must be fixed to the radio; repeaters, base stations with external antennas and power amplifiers are not allowed. See our walkie-talkie guide for channels and typical range.

CB radio

Since 1 January 2013, CB voice radios that meet the Swiss interface requirements may be operated without a licence. Limits: 40 channels between 26.965 and 27.405 MHz, 4 W for AM and FM, 12 W PEP for SSB. Power amplifiers are not allowed. Data transmission (packet radio) on CB frequencies still requires a callsign registered with OFCOM. See our CB channel guide.

Radios that are not allowed

• Freenet (149 MHz, licence-free in Germany) — not permitted in Switzerland.
• FRS / GMRS (US walkie-talkies, 462/467 MHz) — not permitted.
• US LoRa devices on 902–928 MHz — set them to the EU region before transmitting, or do not use them.
• Amplifiers that push any of the above beyond its limit.

Installing antennas outdoors

Radio rules are only half the story. Outdoor antennas on roofs or masts may need a building permit from your municipality (Gemeinde / commune), and in rented flats you need the landlord’s consent. Small antennas on balconies are usually unproblematic, but rules differ between cantons — ask your Gemeinde before mounting a mast.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to register my Meshtastic or MeshCore node? No. Devices in the 869.4–869.65 MHz band within 500 mW ERP and 10 % duty cycle are exempt from licensing and notification.

Can I use a LoRa board bought on AliExpress? Yes, if it is the 868 MHz version and you configure the EU region. The equipment itself must comply with the Swiss/European conformity requirements (CE marking is the usual indicator). 915 MHz versions should not be used in Switzerland.

Is an MQTT or internet gateway allowed? Yes — the internet link is not a radio question. The radio side of the gateway must still respect power and duty-cycle limits.

Is encryption allowed? Yes. Unlike amateur radio, licence-free short-range devices may use encrypted traffic.

Can I use 433 MHz LoRa instead? Yes, but only at 10 mW ERP in the general LPD433 allocation — much less range than 868 MHz.

Sources

• OFCOM: Annex 1 to the OUS — frequency uses without a licence (version 8, valid from 1 January 2026, PDF, French)
• Federal Office for Customs and Border Security: CB radio (Jedermannsfunk) and leaflet “Radio communications in Switzerland”
• MeshCore Switzerland: recommended settings
• Meshtastic: LoRa configuration

Questions or corrections? Post them in the Swiss Mesh forum.