5G Frequency Bands & Spectrum Allocations

5G Frequency bands: Spectrum Allocations for Next-Gen LTE

Introducing 5G Frequency Bands:

5G, the fifth generation of mobile network technology, operates across a range of frequency bands to deliver high-speed, low-latency, and high-capacity wireless communication. These frequency bands are divided into low, mid, and high bands, each offering unique characteristics to support diverse applications.

5G Frequency bands and channel bandwidths

5G frequency bands are categorised based on their frequency range and are defined by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) under the New Radio (NR) standard. The two main frequency ranges are:

  • Frequency Range 1 (FR1): Sub-6 GHz bands, including low and mid-band frequencies (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz).
  • Frequency Range 2 (FR2): Millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands, high-frequency bands (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz).

The following table summarises the main 5G frequency bands and their characteristics:

Band Type Frequency Range Common Bands Characteristics
Low-Band 600–900 MHz n71 (600 MHz), n28 (700 MHz), n5 (850 MHz) Wide coverage, good penetration through buildings, lower speeds (up to 100–250 Mbps).
Mid-Band 1.7–4.7 GHz n1 (2.1 GHz), n3 (1.8 GHz), n41 (2.5 GHz), n78 (3.5 GHz) Balanced coverage and speed, ideal for urban areas (up to 1 Gbps).
High-Band (mmWave) 24–71 GHz n258 (26 GHz), n260 (39 GHz), n261 (28 GHz) Ultra-high speeds (up to 10 Gbps), low latency, but limited range and poor penetration.

From 3GPP TS 38.101-1, the following table lists the specified frequency bands of 5G NR and the channel bandwidths each band supports.

Frequency Range 1

Band Duplex mode ƒ
(MHz)		 Common name Subset of band Uplink
(MHz)		 Downlink
(MHz)		 Duplex spacing
(MHz)		 Channel bandwidths
(MHz)		 Notes
n1 FDD 2100 IMT n65 1920 – 1980 2110 – 2170 190 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50
n2 FDD 1900 PCS n25 1850 – 1910 1930 – 1990 80 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40
n3 FDD 1800 DCS 1710 – 1785 1805 – 1880 95 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50
n5 FDD 850 CLR n26 824 – 849 869 – 894 45 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25
n7 FDD 2600 IMT‑E 2500 – 2570 2620 – 2690 120 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50
n8 FDD 900 Extended GSM 880 – 915 925 – 960 45 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35
n12 FDD 700 Lower SMH n85 699 – 716 729 – 746 30 3, 5, 10, 15
n13 FDD 700 Upper SMH 777 – 787 746 – 756 −31 5, 10
n14 FDD 700 Upper SMH 788 – 798 758 – 768 −30 5, 10
n18 FDD 850 Lower 800 n26 815 – 830 860 – 875 45 5, 10, 15 Japan
n20 FDD 800 Digital Dividend 832 – 862 791 – 821 −41 5, 10, 15, 20 EU
n24 FDD 1600 Upper L-band 1626.5 – 1660.5 1525 – 1559 −101.5 5, 10 US
n25 FDD 1900 Extended PCS 1850 – 1915 1930 – 1995 80 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45
n26 FDD 850 Extended CLR 814 – 849 859 – 894 45 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
n28 FDD 700 APT 703 – 748 758 – 803 55 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
n29 SDL 700 Lower SMH — 717 – 728 — 5, 10
n30 FDD 2300 WCS 2305 – 2315 2350 – 2360 45 5, 10
n31 FDD 450 NMT 452.5 – 457.5 462.5 – 467.5 10 3, 5
n34 TDD 2100 IMT 2010 – 2025 — 5, 10, 15
n38 TDD 2600 IMT‑E n41, n90 2570 – 2620 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40
n39 TDD 1900 DCS–IMT Gap 1880 – 1920 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40
n40 TDD 2300 S-Band 2300 – 2400 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n41 TDD 2500 BRS 2496 – 2690 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n46 TDD 5200 U-NII-1–4 5150 – 5925 — 1o, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100
n47 TDD 5900 U-NII-4 5855 – 5925 — 10, 20, 30, 40 V2X
n48 TDD 3500 CBRS n77, n78 3550 – 3700 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 US
n50 TDD 1500 L‑Band 1432 – 1517 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 EU
n51 TDD 1500 L‑Band Extension 1427 – 1432 — 5 EU
n53 TDD 2400 S band 2483.5 – 2495 — 5, 10
n54 TDD 1600 L-band 1670 – 1675 — 5
n65 FDD 2100 Extended IMT 1920 – 2010 2110 – 2200 190 5, 10, 15, 20, 50
n66 FDD 1700
2100		 Extended AWS 1710 – 1780 2110 – 2200 400 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45
n67 SDL 700 EU 700 — 738 – 758 — 5, 10, 15, 20
n70 FDD 2000 Supplementary AWS 1695 – 1710 1995 – 2020 300 5, 10, 15, 20, 25
n71 FDD 600 Digital Dividend 663 – 698 617 – 652 −46 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 US
n72 FDD 450 PMR 451 – 456 461 – 466 10 3, 5 EU
n74 FDD 1500 Lower L‑Band 1427 – 1470 1475 – 1518 48 5, 10, 15, 20 US
n75 SDL 1500 L‑Band — 1432 – 1517 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 EU
n76 SDL 1500 L‑Band Extension — 1427 – 1432 — 5 EU
n77 TDD 3700 C-Band 3300 – 4200 — 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n78 TDD 3500 C-Band n77 3300 – 3800 — 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n79 TDD 4900 C-Band 4400 – 5000 — 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n80 SUL 1800 DCS 1710 – 1785 — — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40
n81 SUL 900 Extended GSM 880 – 915 — — 5, 10, 15, 20
n82 SUL 800 Digital Dividend 832 – 862 — — 5, 10, 15, 20 EU
n83 SUL 700 APT 703 – 748 — — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
n84 SUL 2100 IMT 1920 – 1980 — — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50
n85 FDD 700 Extended Lower SMH 698 – 716 728 – 746 30 3, 5, 10, 15
n86 SUL 1700 Extended AWS n80 1710 – 1780 — — 5, 10, 15, 20, 40
n87 FDD 400 PMR 410 – 415 420 – 425 10 3, 5
n88 FDD 400 PMR 412 – 417 422 – 427 10 3, 5
n89 SUL 850 CLR 824 – 849 — — 5, 10, 15, 20,
n90 TDD 2500 BRS 2496 – 2690 — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n91 FDD 800
1500		 DD
L-Band		 n20, n51 832 – 862 1427 – 1432 570 – 595 5, 10 EU
n92 FDD 800
1500		 DD
L-Band		 n20, n50 832 – 862 1432 – 1517 600 – 660 5, 10, 15, 20 EU
n93 FDD 900
1500		 Extended GSM
L-Band		 n8, n51 880 – 915 1427 – 1432 527 – 547 5, 10 EU
n94 FDD 900
1500		 Extended GSM
L-Band		 n8, n50 880 – 915 1432 – 1517 532 – 632 5, 10, 15, 20 EU
n95 SUL 2100 IMT 2010 – 2025 — — 5, 10, 15
n96 TDD 6000 U-NII-5–8 5925 – 7125 — 20, 40, 60, 80, 100
n97 SUL 2300 S-Band 2300 – 2400 — — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n98 SUL 1900 DCS–IMT Gap 1880 – 1920 — — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40
n99 SUL 1600 Upper L-band 1626.5 – 1660.5 — — 5, 10 US
n100 FDD 900 GSM-R 874.4 – 880 919.4 – 925 45 3, 5 EU
n101 TDD 1900 FRMCS n39 1900 – 1910 — 5, 10
n102 TDD 6200 U-NII-5 n96 5925 – 6425 — 20, 40, 60, 80, 100
n104 TDD 6700 U-NII-6–8 6425 – 7125 — 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
n105 FDD 600 Digital Dividend 663 – 703 612 – 652 −51 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 APT
n106 FDD 900 LMRS 896 – 901 935 – 940 39 3 US
n109 FDD 700
1500		 APT
L-Band		 703 – 733 1432 – 1517 729 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 EU
n110 FDD 1400 L-Band 1390 – 1395 1432 – 1435 42 3

Frequency Range 2

Band f (GHz) Common name Subset of band Uplink / Downlink (GHz) Channel bandwidths (MHz)
n257 28 LMDS   26.50 – 29.50 50, 100, 200, 400
n258 26 K-band   24.25 – 27.50 50, 100, 200, 400
n259 41 V-band   39.50 – 43.50 50, 100, 200, 400
n260 39 Ka-band   37.00 – 40.00 50, 100, 200, 400
n261 28 Ka-band n257 27.50 – 28.35 50, 100, 200, 400
n262 47 V-band   47.20 – 48.20 50, 100, 200, 400
n263 60 V-band   57.00 – 71.00 100, 400, 800, 1600, 2000

Other Considerations for 5G Frequency Bands

High 5G Frequency Bands

These bands are usually available and can be quickly cleared for 5G use.

Geographical Area 5G Frequency Band
Europe 3400 – 3800 MHz
China 3300 – 3600 MHz
China 4400 – 4500 MHz
China 4800 – 4990 MHz
Japan 3600 – 4200 MHz
Japan 4400 – 4900 MHz
Korea 3400 – 3700 MHz
USA 3100 – 3550 MHz
USA 3700 – 4200 MHz

Very High 5G Frequency Bands (MMW)

These bands will allow the deployment of hotspots providing very high throughput thanks to the large bandwidth available for operators:

Geographical Area 5G Frequency Band
Europe 24.25 – 27.5 GHz
China 24.25 – 27.5 GHz and 37 – 43.5 GHz
Japan 27.5 – 28.28 GHz
Korea 26.5 – 29.5 GHz
USA 27.5 – 28.35 GHz and 37 – 40 GHz

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