Absolute radio-frequency channel number

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In GSM cellular networks, an absolute radio-frequency channel number (ARFCN) is a code that specifies a pair of physical radio carriers and channels used for transmission and reception on the Um interface, one for the uplink signal and one for the downlink signal. ARFCNs are defined in GSM Specification 45.005 Section 2. Each burst period spans for about 0.577 ms and carries approximately 156.25 bits. Since each ARFCN corresponds to one burst period which is one physical channel, it has a bandwidth of 270.833 kbit/s. ARFCNs use a channel spacing of 200 kHz in any given GSM band. Uplink-downlink spacing is typically 45 or 50 MHz. Different frequencies (ARFCNs) are used for the frequency-based component of GSMs multiple access scheme (FDMA frequency-division multiple access). Uplink/downlink channel pairs in GSM are identified by ARFCN. Together with the time-based component (TDMA time division multiple access) the physical channel is defined by selecting a certain ARFCN and a certain time slot. Note not to confuse this physical channel with the logical channels (e.g. BCH Broadcast Control Channel) that are time-multiplexed onto it under the rules of GSM Specification 05.03.

DESCRIPTION
The Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN) is a unique number given to each radio channel in GSM Radio Communication Band plan. The ARFCN can be used to calculate the frequency of the radio channel. The ARFCNs used in GSM-1900 band (US PCS-1900) overlap with the ARFCNs used in GSM-1800 band (DCS-1800). In the GSM-1900 band plan, the ARFCNs 512 to 810 are different frequencies than the same channel numbers in the GMS-1800 band plan. A multiband mobile phone will interpret ARFCN numbers 512 to 810 as either GSM-1800 or GSM-1900 frequencies based on a band plan indicator. For this package to interpret ARFCN numbers 512 to 810 as either GSM-1800 or GSM-1900 frequencies, set the additional parameter band plan indicator (i.e. "bpi") to either "GSM-1800" or "GSM-1900" (DEFAULT) to make the correct interpretation.