View source for GSM frequency bands

{{Short description|International Telecommunication Union-approved frequency bands for GSM}}
{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
'''GSM frequency bands''' or frequency ranges are the [[cellular frequencies]] designated by the [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]] for the operation of [[GSM]] [[mobile phone]]s and other [[mobile device]]s.

== Frequency bands==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ GSM frequency bands
! scope="col" | GSM band !! scope="col" | [[Frequency|ƒ]] (MHz) !! scope="col" | Uplink (MHz)<br /><small>(mobile to base)</small> !! scope="col" | Downlink (MHz)<br /><small>(base to mobile)</small> !! scope="col" | Channel numbers !! scope="col" | Equivalent<br />[[LTE_frequency_bands#Frequency_bands_and_channel_bandwidths|LTE band]] / [[5G_NR_frequency_bands#Frequency_Range_1|NR band]] !! scope="col" | Regional deployments
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | T-GSM-380{{efn|name=t-gsm|T-GSM is [[Trunked radio system|Trunking]]-GSM.}}
| 380 || 380.2 – 389.8 || 390.2 – 399.8 || {{varies|dynamic}} || {{n/a|None}} || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | T-GSM-410{{efn|name=t-gsm}}
| 410 || 410.2 – 419.8 || 420.2 – 429.8 || {{varies|dynamic}} || 87/88 || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | GSM-450
| 450 || 450.6 – 457.6 || 460.6 – 467.6 || 259–293 || 31/72/73 || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | GSM-480
| 480 || 479.0 – 486.0 || 489.0 – 496.0 || 306–340 || {{n/a|None}} || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | GSM-710
| 710 || 698.2 – 716.2 || 728.2 – 746.2 || {{varies|dynamic}} || 12/85 || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | GSM-750
| 750 || 777.2 – 792.2 || 747.2 – 762.2 || 438–511 || {{n/a|None}} || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | T-GSM-810{{efn|name=t-gsm}}
| 810 || 806.2 – 821.2 || 851.2 – 866.2 || {{varies|dynamic}} || 27 || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=left}} | GSM-850
| 850 || 824.2 – 848.8 || 869.2 – 893.8 || 128–251 || 5 || CALA,{{efn|name=cala|CALA: [[Canada]], [[United States|US]], [[Caribbean]], and [[Latin America]]}} NAR{{efn|name=nar|NAR: North American Region}}
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | {{fontcolour|grey|''P-GSM-900''}}{{efn|P-GSM is the standard or primary GSM-900 band}}
| {{fontcolour|grey|''900''}} || {{fontcolour|grey|''890.0 – 915.0''}} || {{fontcolour|grey|''935.0 – 960.0''}} || {{fontcolour|grey|''1–124''}} || {{fontcolour|grey|''8 (subset)''}} || {{n/a|None<br />''deprecated''}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=left}} | E-GSM-900{{efn|E-GSM is the extended GSM-900 band: a superset of the standard GSM-900 band.}}
| 900 || 880.0 – 915.0 || 925.0 – 960.0 || 0–124, 975–1023 || 8 || [[Asia-Pacific|APAC]],{{efn|name=apac|APAC: [[Asia-Pacific]]}} [[EMEA]]{{efn|name=emea|EMEA: [[Europe, the Middle East and Africa]]}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=left}} | R-GSM-900{{efn|R-GSM, or [[GSM-R]], is the Railways GSM-900 band, which also includes the standard and extended GSM-900 bands.}}
| 900 || 876.0 – 915.0 || 921.0 – 960.0 || 0–124, 955–1023 || 8/100 || [[Asia-Pacific|APAC]],{{efn|name=apac|APAC: [[Asia-Pacific]]}} [[EMEA]]{{efn|name=emea|EMEA: [[Europe, the Middle East and Africa]]}}<br />''used for [[GSM-R]]''
|-
! {{rh|align=left}} | T-GSM-900{{efn|name=t-gsm}}
| 900 || 870.4 – 876.0 || 915.4 – 921.0 || {{varies|dynamic}} || {{n/a|None}} || {{n/a|None}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=left}} | DCS-1800{{efn|DCS: [[Digital Cellular System]]}}
| 1800 || 1710.2 – 1784.8 || 1805.2 – 1879.8 || 512–885 || 3 || [[Asia-Pacific|APAC]],{{efn|name=apac}} [[EMEA]]{{efn|name=emea}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=left}} | PCS-1900{{efn|PCS: [[Personal Communications Service]]}}
| 1900 || 1850.2 – 1909.8 || 1930.2 – 1989.8 || 512–810 || 2/25 || CALA,{{efn|name=cala}} NAR{{efn|name=nar}}
|}

{{notelist|colwidth=26em}}

== 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) and [[Oceania]].

In common GSM-900 is most widely used. Fewer operators use GSM-1800. [[Mobile phones on aircraft|Mobile Communication Services on Aircraft]] (MCA) uses GSM-1800.<ref>[http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/220&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en EUROPA - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Commission Decisions on Mobile Communication Services on Aircraft - Frequently Asked Questions]. Europa.eu. Retrieved on 2013-09-18.</ref>

In some countries GSM-1800 is also referred to as "Digital Cellular System" (DCS).<ref>{{cite conference |last1=Ramsdale |first1=P.A. |last2=Hadden |first2=A.D. |last3=Gaskell |first3=P.S. |title=DCS1800-the standard for PCN | conference=1991 Sixth International Conference on Mobile Radio and Personal Communications |date=December 1991 |pages=175–181 |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/140234}}</ref>

=== 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&nbsp;MHz and 1900&nbsp;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&nbsp;MHz band, because the original [[analog signal|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&nbsp;MHz band" (for simplification) when it was first allocated for [[Advanced Mobile Phone System|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&nbsp;MHz and 1800&nbsp;MHz bands for GSM in addition to the common GSM deployments at 850&nbsp;MHz and 1900&nbsp;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.

The following countries are mixing GSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900 bands:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html |title=GSM Bands information by country |publisher=WorldTimeZone.com |date=2016-01-16 |access-date=2016-02-06}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Countries that mix GSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900 bands
! scope="col" | Region !! scope="col" | Country/Territory !! scope="col" | GSM-850 !! scope="col" | GSM-1900 !! scope="col" | GSM-900 !! scope="col" | GSM-1800
|-
! rowspan="14" {{rh|align=right}} class="table-rh" scope="row" | Caribbean
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Antigua and Barbuda]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Na}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Aruba]], [[Bonaire]] and [[Curacao]] || {{Na}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Barbados]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[British Virgin Islands]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Cayman Islands]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Dominica]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Dominican Republic]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Grenada]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Haiti]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Na}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Jamaica]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Na}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Saint Lucia]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Turks and Caicos Islands]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh|align=right}} scope="row" rowspan="3" style="background:#ffb" | Central<br>America
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Costa Rica]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Na}} || {{Na}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[El Salvador]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Na}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Guatemala]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Na}}
|-
! {{rh|align=right}} scope="row" rowspan="3" style="background:#ffb" | South<br>America
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Brazil]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Na}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Uruguay]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|-
! {{rh2|align=right}} scope="row" | [[Venezuela]]
| {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}} || {{Ya}}
|}

=== GSM-450 ===
Another less common GSM version is GSM-450.<ref>[http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Print.aspx?NewsId=15254 neon lite, Nokia Eye 450&nbsp;MHz GSM technology]</ref> It uses the same band as, and can co-exist with, old analog [[Nordic Mobile Telephone|NMT]] systems. NMT is a first generation ([[1G]]) mobile system which was primarily used in [[Nordic countries]], [[Benelux]], [[Alpine states|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&nbsp;MHz. There are no publicly advertised handsets for GSM-450 available.

Very few NMT-450 networks remain in operation. Overall, where the 450&nbsp;MHz NMT band has been licensed, the original analogue network has been closed, and sometimes replaced by [[CDMA2000|CDMA]]. Some of the CDMA networks have since upgraded from CDMA to [[LTE (telecommunication)|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&nbsp;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,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.cellhire.com/products/international/cell-phone/international |title = International Cell Phones |access-date = 3 September 2013 |publisher = Cellhire |archive-date = 4 March 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140304020052/http://www.cellhire.com/products/international/cell-phone/international |url-status = dead }}</ref> supporting at least all four major GSM bands, allowing for global use (excluding non-GSM countries such as Japan, South Korea and as well countries where 2G system was shut down to release frequencies and spectrum for LTE networks like Australia (since 2017), Singapore and Taiwan (since 2018).

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 (wireless)|GAIT]] phone sold in North America can operate on GSM-1900, GSM-850 and legacy [[Digital AMPS|TDMA]]-1900, TDMA-800, and [[Advanced Mobile Phone System|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&nbsp;MHz, quad-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 850/900/1900/2100&nbsp;MHz, and dual-band [[CDMA2000|CDMA]] [[Evolution-Data Optimized|EV-DO]] Rev. An at 800/1900&nbsp;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 Wireless|Verizon]], and [[Sprint Corporation|Sprint]] in the U.S. as well as a broad range of GSM carriers worldwide such as [[Vodafone]], [[Orange S.A.|Orange]] and [[T-Mobile International AG|T-Mobile]] (Excluding-US), many of whom offer official unlocking.

== See also ==
* [[3GPP]]
* [[Cellular frequencies]]
* [[Global Positioning System]]
* [[Roaming]]
* [[UMTS frequency bands]]
* [[LTE frequency bands]]
* [[5G NR frequency bands]]
* [[CDMA frequency bands]]
* [[2008 United States wireless spectrum auction]]

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080517095542/http://www.ldpost.com/telecom-articles/History-of-GSM-and-More.html LDpost.com – History of GSM and More] GSM history, technology, bands, multi-band phones
* [http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/0505.htm 3GPP Specification detail TS 05.05] Specification 3GPP TS 05.05 Radio Transmission and Reception
* [http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/45005.htm 3GPP Specification detail TS 45.005] Specification 3GPP TS 45.005 Radio Transmission and Reception
* [http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/TSG-WG--R4.htm 3GPP Specifications for group: R4] – Frequencies info for UMTS (TS 25.101/102/104/105)

{{Cellular network standards}}
{{Telecommunications}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gsm Frequency Bands}}
[[Category:Bandplans]]
[[Category:Mobile telecommunications]]
[[Category:GSM standard]]