GSM frequency bands

GSM frequency bands or frequency ranges are the cellular frequencies designated by the ITU for the operation of GSM mobile
phones and other mobile devices.

Uplink (MHz) Downlink (MHz) Equivalent

GSM band ƒ (MHz) Channel number
(Mobile to Base) (Base to Mobile) LTE band
T-GSM-380 380 380.2 – 389.8 390.2 – 399.8 dynamic
T-GSM-410 410 410.2 – 419.8 420.2 – 429.8 dynamic
GSM-450 450 450.6 – 457.6 460.6 – 467.6 259 – 293 31
GSM-480 480 479.0 – 486.0 489.0 – 496.0 306 – 340
GSM-710 710 698.2 – 716.2 728.2 – 746.2 dynamic 12
GSM-750 750 777.2 – 792.2 747.2 – 762.2 438 – 511
T-GSM-810 810 806.2 – 821.2 851.2 – 866.2 dynamic 27
GSM-850 850 824.2 – 848.8 869.2 – 893.8 128 – 251 5
P-GSM-900 900 890.0 – 915.0 935.0 – 960.0 1 – 124
E-GSM-900 900 880.0 – 915.0 925.0 – 960.0 975 – 1023, 0 - 124 8
R-GSM-900 900 876.0 – 915.0 921.0 – 960.0 955 – 1023, 0 - 124
T-GSM-900 900 870.4 – 876.0 915.4 – 921.0 dynamic
DCS-1800 1800 1710.2 – 1784.8 1805.2 – 1879.8 512 – 885 3
PCS-1900 1900 1850.2 – 1909.8 1930.2 – 1989.8 512 – 810 2

bands 2 and 5 (shaded in blue) have been deployed in NAR and CALA (North American Region Canada
[ and the
US], Caribbean and Latin America)
bands 3 and 8 (shaded in yellow) have been deployed in EMEA and AP
AC (Europe, the Middle East and Africa,
Asia-Pacific)
all other bands have not seen any commercial deployments
P-GSM, Standard or Primary GSM-900 Band
E-GSM, Extended GSM-900 Band (includes Standard GSM-900 band)
R-GSM, Railways GSM-900 Band (includes Standard and Extended GSM-900 band)
T-GSM, Trunking-GSM

Contents
GSM frequency usage around the world
GSM-900, EGSM/EGSM-900 and GSM-1800
GSM-850 and GSM-1900
Frequency mixing between GSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900
GSM-450
Multi-band and multi-mode phones
See also
References
External links
GSM frequency usage around the world
A dual-band 900/1800 device is required to be compatible with most networks apart from deployments in ITU-Region 2.

GSM-900, EGSM/EGSM-900 and GSM-1800

GSM-900 and GSM-1800 are used in most parts of the world (ITU-Regions 1 and 3): Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia (apart from
Japan and South Korea where GSM has never been introduced) andOceania.

In common GSM-900 is most widely used. Fewer operators use GSM-1800. Mobile Communication Services on Aircraft (MCA)
uses GSM-1800.[1]

In some countries GSM-1800 is also referred to as "Digital Cellular System" (DCS).

GSM-850 and GSM-1900

GSM-1900 and GSM-850 are used in most of North, South and Central America (ITU-Region 2). In North America, GSM operates
on the primary mobile communication bands 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. In Canada, GSM-1900 is the primary band used in urban
areas with 850 as a backup, and GSM-850 being the primary rural band. In the United States, regulatory requirements determine
which area can use which band.

The term Cellular is sometimes used to describe GSM services in the 850 MHz band, because the original analog cellular mobile
communication system was allocated in this spectrum. Further GSM-850 is also sometimes called GSM-800 because this frequency
range was known as the "800 MHz band" (for simplification) when it was first allocated for AMPS in the United States in 1983. In
North America GSM-1900 is also referred to as Personal Communications Service(PCS) like any other cellular system operating on
the "1900 MHz band".

Frequency mixing between GSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900

Some countries in Central and South America have allocated spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands for GSM in addition to
the common GSM deployments at 850 MHz and 1900 MHz for ITU-Region 2 (Americas). The result therefore is a mixture of usage
in the Americas that requires travelers to confirm that the devices they have are compatible with the bands of the network at their
destination. Frequency compatibility problems can be avoided through the use of multi-band (tri-band or, especially, quad-band)
device.

[2]
The following countries are mixing GSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900 bands:
 Country GSM-850 GSM-1900 GSM-900 GSM-1800
Antigua and Barbuda Yes Yes Yes No
Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao No Yes Yes Yes
Barbados No Yes Yes Yes
Brazil Yes Yes Yes Yes
British Virgin Islands Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cayman Islands Yes Yes Yes Yes
Costa Rica Yes No No Yes
Dominica Yes Yes Yes No
Dominican Republic Yes Yes Yes Yes
El Salvador Yes Yes Yes No
Grenada Yes No Yes Yes
Guatemala Yes Yes Yes No
Haiti Yes No Yes Yes
Jamaica No Yes Yes Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis Yes Yes Yes Yes
Saint Lucia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Yes No Yes Yes
Trinidad and Tobago Yes Yes No Yes
Turks and Caicos Islands Yes Yes Yes Yes
Uruguay Yes Yes Yes Yes
Venezuela Yes No Yes Yes

GSM-450
Another less common GSM version is GSM-450.[3] It uses the same band as, and can co-exist with, old analog NMT systems. NMT
is a first generation (1G) mobile system which was primarily used in Nordic countries, Benelux, Alpine Countries, Eastern Europe
and Russia prior to the introduction of GSM. The GSM Association claims one of its around 680 operator-members has a license to
operate a GSM 450 network in Tanzania. However, currently all active public operators in Tanzania use GSM 900/1800 MHz. There
are no publicly advertised handsets for GSM-450 available.

Very few NMT-450 networks remain in operation. Overall, where the 450 MHz NMT band has been licensed, the original analogue
network has been closed, and sometimes replaced by CDMA. Some of the CDMA networks have since upgraded from CDMA to
LTE (LTE band 31).

Multi-band and multi-mode phones

Today, most telephones support multiple bands as used in different countries to facilitate roaming. These are typically referred to as
multi-band phones. Dual-band phones can cover GSM networks in pairs such as 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies (Europe, Asia,
Australia and Brazil) or 850 and 1900 (North America and Brazil). European tri-band phones typically cover the 900, 1800 and 1900
bands giving good coverage in Europe and allowing limited use in North America, while North American tri-band phones utilize 850,
1800 and 1900 for widespread North American service but limited worldwide use. A new addition has been the quad-band phone,
also known as a World Phone,[4] supporting at least all four major GSM bands, allowing for global use (excluding non-GSM
countries such as Japan or South Korea).
There are also multi-mode phones which can operate on GSM as well as on other mobile phone systems using other technical
standards or proprietary technologies. Often these phones use multiple frequency bands as well. For example, one version of the
Nokia 6340i GAIT phone sold in North America can operate on GSM-1900, GSM-850 and legacy TDMA-1900, TDMA-800, and
AMPS-800, making it both multi-mode and multi-band. As a more recent example the Apple iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S support quad-
band GSM at 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, and dual-band CDMA EV-
DO Rev. An at 800/1900 MHz, for a total of 'six' different frequencies (though at most four in a single mode). This allows the same
handset to be sold for AT&T Mobility, Verizon, and Sprint in the U.S. as well as a broad range of GSM carriers worldwide such as
Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile (Excluding-US), many of whom offer official unlocking.

See also
3GPP
Cellular frequencies
OD-GPS
Roaming
UMTS frequency bands
United States 2008 wireless spectrum auction

References
1. EUROPA - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Commission Decisions on Mobile Communication Services on
Aircraft - Frequently Asked Questions(http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/220&for
mat=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en) . Europa.eu. Retrieved on 2013-09-18.
2. "GSM Bands information by country"(http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html). WorldTimeZone.com. 2016-01-16.
Retrieved 2016-02-06.
3. Ericsson, Nokia Eye 450 MHz GSM technology(http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Print.aspx?NewsId=15254)
4. "International Cell Phones"(http://www.cellhire.com/products/international/cell-phone/international). Cellhire.
Retrieved 3 September 2013.

External links
LDpost.com – History of GSM and MoreGSM history, technology, bands, multi-band phones
3GPP Specification detail TS 05.05Specification 3GPP TS 05.05 Radio Transmission and Reception
3GPP Specification detail TS 45.005Specification 3GPP TS 45.005 Radio Transmission and Reception
3GPP Specifications for group: R4– Frequencies info for UMTS (TS 25.101/102/104/105)

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This page was last edited on 9 October 2017, at 18:41.

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