Upper frequency band growth in Europe boosts RAIN RFID benefits

The radio spectrum range used for RAIN RFID has historically been spread between 860 – 960MHz. A narrowed band of 915 – 921MHz was set up in Europe in 2018, offering performance benefits such as easier global product design, double communication speed, and easier reader and system design, which supports low-power, and up to 40% longer-range tag reading. This upper European band has recently been reported as being implemented in 10 new countries with 35 European countries now making the higher frequency band available. For those few remaining, clarification is ongoing and only Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands currently continue to solely use the lower frequency band, primarily where the higher band has already been allocated for military use.

“It’s great to see countries across Europe implement the upper RAIN RFID frequency band and bring its related benefits to deployments in their region,” comments Aileen Ryan, President and CEO of RAIN Alliance. “Increased implementation of the upper RAIN RFID frequency band signifies continued growth of the addressable marketplace for RAIN RFID, with more countries and companies able to benefit from enhanced performance. More countries using the upper RAIN RFID frequency band is good news for supply chains in these jurisdictions, which can use it to further improve their operations and drive efficiencies across their organisations in new and exciting ways.”

The availability of the upper RAIN RFID frequency band across Europe aligns with the wider trend of growth in RAIN RFID deployments. Tag chip shipments continue to rise, reaching a record volume of 45.5bn units in 2023 – a third of which were sold in Europe – and are expected to reach 115bn units by 2028. Usage and adoption of RAIN RFID also continues to diversify, with new use cases for the technology proliferating across a variety of industries.

“Just as adoption and implementation of RAIN RFID is on the rise, so too are the use cases for the technology,” continued Ryan. “This includes using RAIN RFID for new applications, such as enabling more sustainable practices and supporting sustainability regulation such as the EU’s Digital Product Passport. RAIN RFID tags can provide vital information throughout a product’s lifecycle to inform how it is used, reused and dealt with at end-of-life, with use of the upper frequency band enhancing these capabilities further.”

The RAIN Alliance Radio Regulations Advisory Council is deeply engaged in global radio regulations and represents a forum for coordinating regulatory meetings, events and activities and preparing RAIN Alliance members for upcoming regulatory engagements. Further information on the RAIN RFID frequency range and resources from the Council can be found on the RAIN Allianceebsite.