Every LTE and 5G connection runs on a numbered frequency band defined by 3GPP. The band number fixes the uplink and downlink frequency ranges and the duplex mode, which together decide coverage, capacity and which devices can roam onto a network. This reference lists the common bands with their ranges and a live search.
Why band knowledge matters for engineers and travellers
Cellular bands are invisible to most users but critical to engineers and anyone buying or specifying mobile hardware for international use. A phone sold in Japan may lack the bands a European carrier uses in its rural coverage layer; a module designed for US deployment may be unable to register on Latin American networks that rely on different spectrum assignments. Checking band compatibility before procurement avoids discovering the problem after devices are deployed in the field.
For RF engineers, band numbers are the shorthand that anchors all link-budget, handover, and interference discussions. Knowing that n78 is 3.3–3.8 GHz TDD with 100 MHz channels places it immediately in the mid-band 5G spectrum layer, above the coverage bands and below the millimetre-wave capacity bands.
How it works
Each band defines an uplink range (device to tower) and a downlink range (tower to device). In FDD bands the two ranges are separate blocks of spectrum used simultaneously — the device transmits on one frequency while it receives on another. In TDD bands a single block is shared, with the radio alternating direction in time slots — more flexible for asymmetric data traffic. Lower-frequency bands propagate further and penetrate walls; higher-frequency bands carry more data but over shorter distances.
The search filters by band number, the n-prefixed 5G NR name, or any frequency in MHz that falls inside a band’s range.
Key bands by region
| Band | Frequency | Mode | Primary region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1800 MHz | FDD | Global LTE — most common worldwide |
| 7 | 2600 MHz | FDD | Europe, Americas, Asia — urban capacity |
| 20 | 800 MHz | FDD | Europe — rural coverage layer |
| 28 | 700 MHz | FDD | Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe |
| 71 | 600 MHz | FDD | USA (T-Mobile) — coverage |
| n78 | 3.3–3.8 GHz | TDD | Global 5G mid-band dominant |
| n77 | 3.3–4.2 GHz | TDD | Americas, Asia |
| n258 | 26 GHz | TDD | mmWave — dense urban, short range |
Tips and notes
When checking device compatibility, match both the band number and the duplex mode — a phone missing band 20 will have poor rural coverage in Europe even if it shows full bars in cities. For 5G, n78 coverage requires a device with n78 support; many early 5G phones support only a subset of the NR bands. Always verify against the carrier’s published band plan, which may differ from the regional norm.