Your car radio dial runs from 88 to 108. The cell phone dial is much wider, and phone companies, tribes, and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) divide it into bands, each with its own name, like a station's call sign. 5G sorts these bands into two big groups called FR1 and FR2 (Frequency Range 1 and 2). These four pictures show the whole dial, the two 5G ranges, how to read a band name on your phone, and why networks mix bands.

The Cell Phone Dial
The Cell Phone DialA stretched ruler of cell frequencies from 500 MHz to 40 GHz with four colored zones. Low band, about 600 to 900 MHz, reaches farther. Mid band, about 1.7 to 2.2 GHz. Upper mid band, about 2.5 to 4 GHz, including 2.5 GHz tribal licenses, CBRS, and C-band. High band millimeter wave, about 24 to 40 GHz, carries more data with shorter reach. A dashed gap from 7 to 24 GHz is not used for phones.THE CELL PHONE DIALNot used for phones500 MHz1 GHz2 GHz5 GHz10 GHz20 GHz40 GHzReaches farther, through walls and hillsCarries more data, shorter reachLow bandAbout 600 to 900 MHz600 MHz700 MHz850 MHzMid bandAbout 1.7 to 2.2 GHzAWS 1.7 and 2.1 GHzPCS 1.9 GHzUpper mid bandAbout 2.5 to 4 GHz2.5 GHz (tribal licenses)3.45 GHzCBRS 3.55 to 3.7 GHzC-band 3.7 to 3.98 GHzHigh bandAbout 24 to 40 GHzMillimeter wave24, 28, and 39 GHz123456
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  1. 1Low band. The 600, 700, and 850 megahertz (MHz) bands are the low notes of the cell dial. Like an AM station you can hear across a whole valley, they reach many miles and pass through walls, trees, and hills, but carry less data. The 600 MHz band was cleared for phones by moving TV stations, in an FCC auction that closed in 2017.
  2. 2Mid band. AWS (Advanced Wireless Services, 1.7 and 2.1 GHz) and PCS (Personal Communications Service, 1.9 GHz) carry much of everyday 4G LTE traffic. They balance reach and speed, a bit like FM: clearer and faster than AM, but not heard as far away.
  3. 32.5 GHz and tribes. The 2.5 GHz band runs from 2496 to 2690 MHz. In 2020 the FCC's Rural Tribal Priority Window let tribes apply for licenses in this band covering their own lands, and the FCC auctioned the remaining licenses in 2022 (Auction 108). Many tribal networks run here.
  4. 4CBRS and C-band. CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service, 3.55 to 3.7 GHz) is shared in three tiers: existing users come first, then Priority Access License holders, then General Authorized Access users, who need no license but must yield to the others. The C-band (3.7 to 3.98 GHz) and the 3.45 GHz band were auctioned for 5G between 2020 and 2022.
  5. 5High band. Millimeter wave bands at 24, 28, and 39 GHz carry huge amounts of data but only over short distances. Phone companies use them where crowds gather: stadiums, airports, and busy downtowns. The FCC auctioned them between 2018 and 2020.
  6. 6The gap. From about 7 to 24 GHz, phones mostly do not operate today. Those frequencies are busy with satellite links, radar, and the point-to-point microwave links that connect towers to each other.
5G's Two Frequency Ranges
5G's Two Frequency RangesA stretched ruler showing FR1 from 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz in green and FR2 from 24.25 to 52.6 GHz in orange, extended to 71 GHz. Two cards compare them. FR1, below 7.125 GHz, reaches miles, usually goes through walls, is best for coverage and rural areas, and has channels up to 100 MHz. FR2, millimeter wave, reaches about a city block, does not go through walls, is best for crowds, and has channels up to 400 MHz.5G'S TWO FREQUENCY RANGES410 MHz1 GHz7.125 GHz24.25 GHz52.671 GHzFR1FR2FR1: below 7.125 GHzRange410 MHz to 7.125 GHzNicknameSub-7 GHzReachMilesThrough wallsUsually yesBest forCoverage, rural areasWidest channel100 MHzFR2: millimeter waveRange24.25 to 52.6 GHzExtended to71 GHz (2022)ReachAbout a city blockThrough wallsNoBest forCrowds, stadiumsWidest channel400 MHz123456
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  1. 1Who decided?. 5G standards are written by 3GPP (the 3rd Generation Partnership Project), a worldwide group of phone companies and equipment makers. 3GPP sorted 5G radio frequencies into two Frequency Ranges, FR1 and FR2. 5G radio is called NR, for New Radio, which is why 5G band names start with the letter n.
  2. 2FR1. FR1 runs from 410 megahertz (MHz) to 7.125 gigahertz (GHz). It holds the low, mid, and upper mid bands, including 600 MHz, 2.5 GHz, and the C-band. Most 5G people use every day, and almost all rural 5G, is FR1.
  3. 3FR2. FR2 starts at 24.25 GHz. These are called millimeter waves because each wave is only about a centimeter long or shorter. Short waves can carry a lot of data, but they fade quickly.
  4. 4Channel width. A single 5G channel can be up to 100 MHz wide in FR1 and up to 400 MHz wide in FR2. Think of lanes on a highway: a wider lane moves more traffic at once. For comparison, one FM radio station uses a channel only 0.2 MHz wide.
  5. 5Reach and walls. FR1 signals can travel miles and usually get inside buildings. FR2 signals usually reach about a city block and are stopped by walls, leaves, rain, and even a hand over the phone. That is why rural networks are built mostly on FR1.
  6. 6Stretched to 71 GHz. In 3GPP Release 17, completed in 2022, FR2 was extended up to 71 GHz. The 57 to 71 GHz part (band n263) is for unlicensed use, like Wi-Fi.
Reading a Band Name
Reading a Band NameA phone's network info screen shows 5G NR, band n41, 2.5 GHz, next to a car radio tuned to 92.7 FM. A decoder table lists B12 at 700 MHz 4G LTE, B66 at 1.7 and 2.1 GHz 4G LTE, n71 at 600 MHz 5G, n41 at 2.5 GHz 5G, n77 at 3.45 to 3.98 GHz 5G, and n261 at 28 GHz 5G millimeter wave.READING A BAND NAME9:415GNetwork infoNetwork5G NRBandn41Frequency2.5 GHzSignalGoodYour phoneis like92.7 FMYour car radioNameFrequencyTypeB12700 MHz4G LTEB661.7 / 2.1 GHz4G LTEn71600 MHz5Gn412.5 GHz5Gn773.45 to 3.98 GHz5Gn26128 GHz5G mmWaveThe band name points to a frequency, like a station on the dial123456
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  1. 1B means 4G. Band names that start with B (or just a number) are 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) bands. B12, for example, is a 700 MHz band used for rural coverage.
  2. 2n means 5G. Band names that start with a lowercase n are 5G bands. The n stands for NR, New Radio, the official name of 5G radio.
  3. 3A number, not a frequency. The number is a list number, not the frequency. Band n41 is not 41 GHz; it is the 2.5 GHz band. It works like a radio station's call sign: a short name that points to a spot on the dial.
  4. 4Same lane, two names. 4G and 5G can share the same frequencies. The 2.5 GHz band is called B41 for 4G and n41 for 5G. Many networks, including tribal networks, run both.
  5. 5Check your phone. A phone can only use the bands it was built for, the way an AM-only radio cannot pick up FM. Before buying a phone or joining a local or tribal network, check that the phone's specifications list that network's bands.
  6. 6Combining bands. Modern phones can use several bands at the same time, called carrier aggregation. It is like a car using several highway lanes at once: more lanes, more traffic, faster downloads.
Coverage and Capacity
Coverage and CapacityOne tower sends three domes of signal across a valley. A large yellow low band dome reaches a distant ranch. A medium green 2.5 GHz dome covers a town. A small orange millimeter wave dome covers a crowd next to the tower. A home with an outdoor antenna sits at the far edge.COVERAGE AND CAPACITYLow band: miles2.5 GHz: townmmWave: a blockRanchTownCrowdHome antenna12345
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  1. 1Low band covers distance. Low band spreads a blanket of coverage for miles, reaching the ranch at the edge of the valley. It is like an AM station: heard far away, but with room for less data.
  2. 2Mid band for the town. The 2.5 GHz band reaches the whole town with plenty of speed for many homes. It is the sweet spot many tribal networks use: a balance of reach and capacity.
  3. 3Millimeter wave for crowds. Millimeter wave covers only a small area near the tower, but it can serve a big crowd at a rodeo, game, or powwow all at once.
  4. 4One tower, many bands. A single tower can send several bands at once, like one broadcast tower carrying several radio stations. Your phone picks the best one, or combines them.
  5. 5A home antenna helps. With fixed wireless internet, a small antenna on the outside of the home points at the tower. Mounted high and aimed well, it can reach farther and faster than a phone held indoors.

Remember

Low bands reach far; high bands carry more

5G has two ranges: FR1 below 7.125 GHz, FR2 from 24.25 GHz up

n41 means 5G band 41, the 2.5 GHz band

Try it

1. Which 5G range covers most rural areas?

2. What does the n in band n41 stand for?

3. Why can't millimeter wave reach a ranch a mile away?

Learn more

References

  1. Federal Communications Commission. (2021). Auction of flexible-use service licenses in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band closes. https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-winning-bidders-37-ghz-service-auction
  2. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-a). 600 MHz band. https://www.fcc.gov/600-mhz-band
  3. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-b). Auction 101: Spectrum frontiers - 28 GHz. https://www.fcc.gov/auction/101
  4. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-c). Auction 102: Spectrum frontiers - 24 GHz. https://www.fcc.gov/auction/102
  5. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-d). Auction 103: Spectrum frontiers - Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz. https://www.fcc.gov/auction/103
  6. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-e). Auction 105: 3.5 GHz band. https://www.fcc.gov/auction/105
  7. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-f). Auction 108: 2.5 GHz band. https://www.fcc.gov/auction/108
  8. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-g). Auction 110: 3.45 GHz service. https://www.fcc.gov/auction/110
  9. Federal Communications Commission. (n.d.-h). Why do FM frequencies end in an odd decimal? https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/fm-frequencies-end-odd-decimal
  10. Telecommunications Law Professionals. (2020, October 26). FCC grants 2.5 GHz licenses in Rural Tribal Priority Window. https://www.tlp.law/2020/10/26/fcc-grants-2-5-ghz-licenses-in-rural-tribal-priority-window/
  11. 3rd Generation Partnership Project. (n.d.-a). NR; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception; Part 1: Range 1 standalone (3GPP TS 38.101-1). https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/38_series/38.101-1/
  12. 3rd Generation Partnership Project. (n.d.-b). NR; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception; Part 2: Range 2 standalone (3GPP TS 38.101-2). https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/38_series/38.101-2/
  13. 3rd Generation Partnership Project. (n.d.-c). Release 17. https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/releases/release-17

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