Freenet (radio)

Freenet is a personal mobile radio network in Germany. It was originally introduced in 1996 as a product name of Motorola and uses part of the frequency spectrum of the former B-Netz carphone network.

The original frequency allocation for Freenet encompassed three channels, each with a 12.5 kHz spacing. In January 2007, three additional channels were added, bringing the total up to six.

The ordinance only permits handheld transceivers which must not permit an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1 W. Only specially certified and licensed transceivers may be used; the manufacturer must provide a declaration of conformity as well as a concise manual in German and a CE mark. The user is not permitted to modify the device. The Federal Network Agency has laid out strict parameters for modulation, bandwidth and channel spacing in its ordinance.

In practice, relatively high prices for Freenet devices have kept away domestic users from the service. Oftentimes, modified amateur radio transceivers are used, violating the restrictions for the Freenet service.

With the maximum permitted ERP of 500 mW, a range of 1 km can be assumed. Due to the lower frequencies in the VHF band, signal attenuation from objects, such as houses and trees, is not as high as in the UHF band used by SRD and PMR446 radios.

Originally, the Freenet frequencies were allocated until the end of 2005. The Federal Network Agency has extended this allocation until 31 January 2025.[1]