Academy for LoRaWAN®

Default channels are the channels that must be implemented on an end device for each region in which it operates. These channels may be disabled by the network, but all end devices begin operation using the default channels for the region, and they re-enable all default channels as the last step of ADR backoff.

There are two types of regional channel plans defined in the LoRa Alliance Regional Parameters Specification: dynamic and fixed.

Dynamic channel plan regions (e.g,. EU868, CN779, EU433, IN865, KR920 and AS923), have a small number of default channels (two or three, depending on region).  Additional channels are dynamically created by the network via the CFList or NewChannelReq commands.

For fixed channel plan regions (e.g., US915, AU915 and CN470), a large set of default fixed channels is defined.  Channels are enabled and disabled via the CFList or LinkADRReq commands, and from the  LW1.0.4  version of the LoRaWAN® Layer 2 specification. Regions with a fixed channel plan also support the NewChannelReq command for defining new channels.

All end devices should begin operation with all default channels enabled.  OTAA devices will use all these channels for the Join procedure.  As the last step of the ADR backoff procedure, the end device should enable all default channels.