And it’s via these frequencies that your phone is able to transmit information. Your carrier - especially if you’re with a major one - uses a range of frequencies. This is usually done automatically for you when you sign up with a carrier. In order for your cell phone to work, it needs to have access to the frequency bands that your carrier uses. Cellular Phone Frequency Bands: How Do They Work?Īfter all that, let’s talk about your phone the one you’re likely holding right now. So, if a carrier wants to have the most reliable network possible, they seek to gain as many licenses throughout the RF spectrum as possible. Though it may seem counterintuitive on the surface, lower frequency bands are better for metropolitan, urban areas. They are much better at penetrating obstacles but have lower data transmission rates. High frequencies can transmit data faster than low frequencies, but they can’t penetrate obstacles (buildings, hills, trees) as well, and they can’t travel as far. In other words, bands are not exclusive to one carrier, but channels are (or at least can be, depending on the license).īecause these various channels are located on different sections of the RF spectrum, naturally some of them consist of low frequencies and some of them are high frequencies. Some bands are used by multiple carriers, but by allotting particular channels of use per carrier, they can use the same band without interference. The reason it is set up this way is to avoid carriers interfering with each other. These small sections are referred to as channels or blocks (either term is acceptable). In most cases, when a cellular carrier is given license to a particular band, a small section of that band is all the carrier is allowed to use. In order for a cellular carrier to use a given cellular band, they need a license for it, which is given by the FCC. Why Do Cellular Carriers Use Multiple Frequencies? The 700 MHz frequency, for instance, includes all frequencies between 699 MHz and 798 MHz. One thing to remember is that a band represents many frequencies - not just one - as is sometimes mistakenly assumed. The carrier and device you use determines what specific frequencies your personal device is linked to for your service. The majority of cellular bands are between 600 MHz and 39 GHz, which is part of the RF spectrum, as previously mentioned. These two agencies divide the spectra into what we call bands (multiple ranges of frequencies). In an attempt to organize spectrum and frequency use in America, the US government tasks the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) with This is where all cellular frequencies fall. For example, the spectrum that comprises the range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz is called the RF spectrum. ![]() We categorize frequencies into groups called spectrums. If they’re moving slowly, these are lower frequencies. If the sound waves are moving fast, these are higher frequencies. Cellular Phone Frequency Bands: What Are They?Īs you may remember from high school science, the number of sound waves that occur per second is the definition of a frequency. All of this information proves very helpful, for instance, to people thinking about switching carriers or to people who are in the market for a new device. Some devices are compatible with certain radio frequencies and not others. Not every provider uses the same frequencies. Certain bandwidths and networks may serve your area better than others. ![]() ![]() But this knowledge is very helpful to technology nerds and lay-people alike. And it can’t connect to a mobile network without radio frequencies.įor many consumers out there, the technology and importance of radio waves as pertaining to their cell phone is out of sight/out of mind. Your smartphone must connect to a mobile network in order to browse the web, stream videos, send text messages, and make calls. Of all the individual technologies and components that allow your smartphone to function, radio waves are perhaps the most important. This updated cellular phone frequency bands guide explains this information simply as well as how this knowledge is helpful to everyone who uses a cell phone. Most people use their smartphone every day without truly knowing what makes its functionality possible. ![]() For many consumers out there, the technology and importance of radio waves to cell phones is out of sight/out of mind.
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