Our Mission

The Low Power Radio Association (LPRA) champions the Short Range Devices (SRD) industry, driving innovation in everything from home automation to healthcare and environmental monitoring.

We're here to advance, protect, and promote our members' interests while fostering a deeper understanding of SRDs across Europe. We handle diverse member interests fairly and transparently, acting as the go-to hub for inquiries from administrations, developers, and users.

Collaboration and Advocacy:

LPRA works closely with the European Commission, regulatory bodies, and standards organizations to create a supportive regulatory framework for SRDs. We actively participate in developing and updating European standards, advocating for more radio spectrum allocation for SRDs, and monitoring regulatory changes to protect existing allocations.

Member Support:

We help our members showcase their products and services through conferences, exhibitions, and our Trade Directory on the LPRA website. We also facilitate technical inquiries, ensuring efficient information sharing.

Information

Dissemination: LPRA gathers and shares updates on new regulatory documents from the European Commission, CEPT, ETSI, and other bodies, offering informal guidance on their interpretation.

At LPRA, we're committed to driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and advocating for the SRD industry's growth, ensuring it remains vital and impactful in the evolving tech landscape.

LPRA Council Members

Chairman & Director

Dr. Saad Mezzour

Dr. Saad Mezzour holds a PhD in microelectronics from the University of Lille-France and works from the Medtronic Tolochenaz office in Switzerland, reporting to the Vice President Corporate Regulatory Affairs as Director Corporate Regulatory Affairs. His background is in Radio Telecommunications technologies through various experiences within industries such as Philips Semiconductors, ST Microelectronics, and France Telecom. Saad is responsible for leading the Global New and Changing Requirements (NCR) Program and for establishing and maintaining a global standards and Telecom program. He is the chairman of the LPRA, representing the interests of the Short Range Devices (SRD) industry for different market sectors such as Medical, RFID, Transport, Telemetry, and Buildings. He is also the chairman of ETSI ERM-TG30, responsible for the development of European Radio and EMC standards for Wireless Medical Devices. Saad Mezzour is Chairman of the LPRA.

Vice Chairman & Director (Radio Data Networks)

Brian Back

Brian Back is a founder member of the Low Power Radio Association and has spent over 25 years pioneering the application of both SRD and Licensed Radio technology across a wide range of industry sectors, from rail to water. Some of his most notable projects have been the design and deployment of Europe’s first wide-area integrated AMR network for water, which was deployed in Paris in 2002. Further, in 2003 in the UK, he was responsible for the world's first real-time rail temperature monitoring system. Finally, in more recent years, he has established Europe’s largest fixed real-time sewer monitoring system that now spans South East England and the Channel Islands. Brian Back is Vice Chairman of the LPRA.

Director (Itron)

Simon Dunkley

Simon Dunkley is Director of Solutions Architecture working in Silver Spring Networks’ European operation (now Itron). He has a PhD in physics and a background in engineering research and development. A Radiotelecomms specialist with experience working for manufacturers, operators, regulators, and consultancies, he has 25 years of experience working in communications around the world, having previously worked for Plessey Microsystems & Nortel Telecommunications and as a consultant with UK-based Detica Ltd (now Applied Intelligence, BAe). He has been working with European regulators, the European Commission, and industry to develop smart metering/smart grid applications and legislation. He was named by Metering and Smart Energy International magazine as one of the 40 Most Influential Figures in European Smart Grid for his work in releasing radio spectrum below 1GHz.

(Hager Controls SAS)

Philippe Magneron

Philippe Magneron is an RF engineer with 20 years of experience in PMR, Home Automation, and Wireless Alarm designs. Currently, Philippe is in charge of RF Standards, Technologies, and Regulations for Hager Group. He serves as Vice Chairman of ETSI ERM TG28, responsible for Short Range Devices. Additionally, he is involved in Smart metering and Smart grid activities at both European and National levels. In 2014, Philippe assumed the role of president of the Smart Electric Lyon project Technical Team. He is also a council member of LPRA.

What is Low Power (Short Range) Radio?

Low power devices (LPDs) and short range devices (SRDs) are terms used interchangeably for equipment that operates without an end-user license. While 'short range' isn't precisely defined, many telemetry systems use these devices over kilometers, not just meters.

Definition and Categories:

According to CEPT/ERC Recommendation 70-03, SRDs are radio transmitters that allow one-way or two-way communication with minimal interference to other radio equipment. They can have integral, dedicated, or external antennas and support all modulation modes as long as they meet the standards.

These versatile devices span various categories, including:

Telecommand and telecontrol
Telemetry and remote metering
Alarms
Speech & video
RFID
Building automation
Medical implants
Automotive and other radio sensing

Power and Frequency:

SRDs typically operate with a maximum power of up to 500 mW at VHF/UHF, though some microwave/Doppler devices can exceed this. Higher power limits are permitted for RF identification tags in the 865-868 MHz band, with specific installation restrictions. Power limits are application-specific within designated frequency bands.

Harmonisation:

Traditionally, different countries had varied regulations, but CEPT Administrations (including all EU countries) are moving towards harmonised standards. Currently harmonised frequencies include:

433 MHz (general, including car keys)
863-865 MHz (audio)
868-870 MHz (general, including alarms)
870-915 MHz
2.4-2.483 GHz (WLANs, video scanning, etc.)