Re: [PATCH v2] wireless-regdb: Update 2.4 and 5 GHz rules for South Africa (ZA)

On Tue, Jul 28, 2026 at 5:45=E2=80=AFPM Louis Kotze <[email protected]> wrot=
e:
>
> ICASA has substituted Annexure B of the Radio Frequency Spectrum
> Regulations in full twice since South Africa's 5 GHz rules were last
> touched. The operative table is Notice 1822, Government Gazette 48643
> of 18 May 2023. Notice 1822 section 1 recites the chain itself:
>
>   Notice 279, Gazette 38641, 30 March 2015 (original Annexure B)
>   Notice 386, Gazette 38754, 30 April 2015
>   Notice 781, Gazette 40436, 22 November 2016
>   Notice 737, Gazette 45690, 21 December 2021 (substitutes in full)
>   Notice 1822, Gazette 48643, 18 May 2023 (substitutes in full)
>
> The 6 GHz row already cites this notice, added in b7bced8
> ("wireless-regdb: Update regulatory rules for South Africa (ZA) on
> 6GHz"). The 2.4 and 5 GHz rows were not revisited then and still
> reflect the 2015 table. The operative table reads:
>
>   2400-2483.5 MHz: 100 mW e.i.r.p., WBDTS, SANS 300 328
>   5150-5250 MHz: 23 dBm e.i.r.p., WAS/RLAN, SANS 301 893
>   5250-5350 MHz: 23 dBm e.i.r.p., WAS/RLAN, SANS 301 893
>   5470-5725 MHz: 30 dBm e.i.r.p., WAS/RLAN, SANS 301 893
>   5725-5875 MHz: 25 mW e.i.r.p., non-specific SRD, SANS 300 440
>
> All three WAS/RLAN rows list ECC/DEC/(04)08 under "Additional
> Requirements". That decision restricts 5150-5350 MHz to indoor use and
> requires DFS and TPC on 5250-5350 MHz and 5470-5725 MHz, but not on
> 5150-5250 MHz.
>
> This reverses 99ebbaa ("wireless-regdb: Update ZA rules for 5490-5710
> MHz"), which dropped DFS and the TPC deduction from that range in 2015
> on the strength of the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations 2015, the
> instrument current at the time. ICASA has since restated both
> requirements, and rejected an industry objection to TPC in the reasons
> document accompanying Notice 737:
>
>   "TPC and DFS are not new requirements as they have always been
>   requirements within the prescribed performance standard SANS 301 893"
>
> Changes:
>
> - Add DFS to 5470-5725 MHz. The entry currently permits 1 W across
>   5490-5710 MHz with no radar detection, in a band where ICASA
>   requires it.
>
> - Add NO-OUTDOOR to 5150-5250 and 5250-5350 MHz, per the Notice 737
>   reasons document section 6.6(c): "based on numerous interference
>   complaints caused by the unauthorized outdoor deployment, the
>   Authority maintained the position allowing only indoor deployment in
>   those bands".
>
> - Raise 5150-5250 MHz from 20 to 23 dBm. Same document: "the Authority
>   updated the power limit to 23 dBm in accordance with the prescribed
>   performance standard SANS 301 893".
>
> - Lower 5470-5725 MHz from 30 to 27 dBm and keep 5250-5350 MHz at
>   20 dBm, taking the figure that applies without TPC. The three
>   resulting values match DE, FR, IE and NL, which carry 200 mW, 100 mW
>   and 500 mW for these bands under the same ECC decision.
>
> - Align the 5 GHz band edges with the gazetted limits: 5170 to 5150,
>   5330 to 5350, 5490 to 5470, 5710 to 5725. This yields no additional
>   channel at any width; channel 144 still does not fit, needing
>   5730 MHz where ZA authorises 5725 MHz.
>
> - Align the 2.4 GHz band edges the same way: 2402 to 2400, 2482 to
>   2483.5. The gazetted row is 2400-2483.5 MHz at 100 mW e.i.r.p. for
>   wideband data transmission systems under SANS 300 328, so the power
>   is unchanged at 20 dBm and only the edges move. This yields no
>   additional channel either: channel 13 occupies 2462-2482 MHz and
>   already fits, and channel 14 would need 2494 MHz. DE, FR, IE and NL
>   carry the same 2400-2483.5 MHz range.
>
> - Add the 5725-5875 MHz non-specific SRD row at 25 mW, as in DE, FR,
>   IE and NL.
>
> For a device this makes channels 149 to 173 available at 14 dBm, adds
> one 80 MHz channel at centre 155, gains 3 dB on channels 36 to 48, and
> costs 3 dB plus radar gating on channels 100 to 140. No channel is
> lost, and the 160 MHz picture is unchanged.
>
> The 6 GHz row is untouched.
>
> Reference:
>   Notice 1822 of 2023, Government Gazette 48643, 18 May 2023
>   https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202305/48643gon182=
2.pdf
>
> Signed-off-by: Louis Kotze <[email protected]>
> ---
> v2:
> - Align the 2.4 GHz band edges as well, 2402-2482 to 2400-2483.5, per
>   Chen-Yu's review. The gazetted row is 2400-2483.5 MHz at 100 mW, so
>   the power stays at 20 dBm and no channel is added.

Ah, we actually want the limit numbers and units to match the reference,
unless they were adjusted for some reason, such as TPC restrictions.

Since the 2.4 GHz range is the only one that doesn't match, I will just
fix the commit message and diff when applying, unless you want to send
another version. I will probably apply this and the other patch the day
after tomorrow.


Thanks
ChenYu

> - Retitle accordingly, the patch is no longer 5 GHz only.
>
> v1: https://lore.kernel.org/wireless-regdb/20260727090002.357376-1-loukot=
@gmail.com/
>
>  db.txt | 9 +++++----
>  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/db.txt b/db.txt
> index 72f7900..e6a154f 100644
> --- a/db.txt
> +++ b/db.txt
> @@ -2189,10 +2189,11 @@ country YT: DFS-ETSI
>
>  # Source: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202305/48=
643gon1822.pdf
>  country ZA: DFS-ETSI
> -       (2402 - 2482 @ 40), (20)
> -       (5170 - 5250 @ 80), (20), AUTO-BW
> -       (5250 - 5330 @ 80), (20), DFS, AUTO-BW
> -       (5490 - 5710 @ 160), (30)
> +       (2400 - 2483.5 @ 40), (20)
> +       (5150 - 5250 @ 80), (23), NO-OUTDOOR, AUTO-BW
> +       (5250 - 5350 @ 80), (20), NO-OUTDOOR, DFS, AUTO-BW
> +       (5470 - 5725 @ 160), (27), DFS
> +       (5725 - 5875 @ 80), (25 mW)
>         (5925 - 6425 @ 320), (23), NO-OUTDOOR
>
>  country ZW: DFS-ETSI
> --
> 2.55.0
>