1.  No
2.  No
3.  LoRa, meshtastic and LoRaWAN.
4.  Sort of. I used a LoStik to transmit simulated temperature, pressure, humidity and CO2 levels to a LoRaWAN gateway
5.  None; I'm interested in unlicensed bands
6. I'd be interested in learning more about how to build my own Meshtastic-compatible device. Both a standalone pager and one yat can pair with a mobile device. From design, to implementation to flashing firmware.