Band
In wireless communication, band refers to a specific range of radio frequencies.
Bands are numbered. For example, band 2 spans radio frequencies from 1850 MHz to 1995 MHz. Before the advent of 4G networks, this same band was known as the "1900" or "PCS" band.
See: MHz
As of 2023, mobile networks in the U.S. use bands 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 260, and 261.
Lower frequencies travel farther and penetrate solids better than higher frequencies. The lowest-frequency band in the U.S. is band 71, which starts at 617 MHz. The highest-frequency bands are mmWave, which go as high as 40 GHz. mmWave bands offer very fast data but have short range (similar to Wi-Fi).
See: Band 71
See: mmWave
Many bands for mobile networks are paired, meaning they are split into two halves: half for phones to transmit signals, and half for phones to receive signals.
See: Paired Band
Most bands for mobile networks are also sub-divided into smaller units called blocks.
See: Block
Last updated Jul 26, 2023 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
