Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has published guidelines to ensure the safe operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). With the increasing adoption of UAS for commercial and recreational purposes, IMDA's regulations aim to ensure that UAS are operated safely and responsibly in Singapore.
UAS contain wireless devices such as short range devices (SRDs) for the purpose of control or payload communication. These devices are regulated under the SRD framework. Briefly, the operating guidelines for SRDs include:
- Operating on a non-interference basis (i.e., the use of SRDs must not interfere with other radio-communication networks authorised by IMDA);
- Operating on a non-protection basis (i.e., users are required to share the radio frequencies with other radio applications and thus not exclusively protected from interference); and
- Conform to the approved operating radio frequencies and the corresponding power limits.
The commonly used radio frequencies and their corresponding power limits are as follows:
| Radio frequencies | Power limits |
|---|---|
| 433.05 – 434.79 MHz | ≤ 10 mW ERP1 |
| 2.4000 – 2.4835 GHz | ≤ 100 mW EIRP2 |
| 5.725 – 5.850 GHz | ≤ 100 mW EIRP |
1 Effective Radiated Power
2 Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power
Please refer to IMDA's Spectrum Management Handbook for the full list of approved radio frequencies and their corresponding power limits for UAS.
Users of UAS and the corresponding SRDs will be exempted from IMDA's licensing requirements if these devices are operated within the guidelines provided above.
Users of UAS are also reminded of the need to comply with any other relevant regulation such as those by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on the operation of UAS. Further details can be found here. Organisations using UAS for photography, video or audio recording activities which capture personal data should also refer to the Personal Data Protection Commission’s (PDPC) advisory guidelines which can be found here.
Aside from the regulation pertaining to UAS operations, equipment dealers are reminded of the need to apply for the relevant licence and register their equipment with IMDA. Under the Telecommunications Act, no person shall sell or possess to sell any telecommunication equipment without the relevant licence from IMDA. In addition, under the Telecommunications (Dealers) Regulations, an equipment dealer may only sell IMDA-registered telecommunication equipment for use in Singapore.
For any query or clarification concerning the licence or the use of radio frequency bands for UAS/SRD, please contact IMDA at TLSINFO@imda.gov.sg and spectrum_admin@imda.gov.sg respectively.
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