5G NR-ARFCN Calculator
Convert between NR-ARFCN and frequency per 3GPP TS 38.104. Covers all FR1 and FR2 bands.
Quick examples
3GPP · ITU-R · Okumura-Hata · COST-231
NR-ARFCN Formula (3GPP TS 38.104)
The 5G NR reference frequency is derived from the NR-ARFCN using a global frequency raster. The raster is split into three sub-ranges, each with a different channel step size (ΔFGlobal):
FREF = FREF-Offs + ΔFGlobal × (NREF − NREF-Offs)
| NREF range | ΔFGlobal | FREF-Offs | Frequency range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 – 599 999 | 5 kHz | 0 GHz | 0 – 3000 MHz |
| 600 000 – 2 016 666 | 15 kHz | 3.0 GHz | 3.0 – 24.25 GHz |
| 2 016 667 – 3 279 165 | 60 kHz | 24.25 GHz | 24.25 – 100 GHz |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an NR-ARFCN?▾
NR-ARFCN (5G NR Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number) is the number that uniquely identifies a radio frequency in the 5G NR system. It is defined in 3GPP TS 38.104 and covers the range from 0 to 3 279 165, corresponding to frequencies from 0 Hz to nearly 100 GHz.
What is the difference between NR-ARFCN and LTE EARFCN?▾
LTE EARFCN is used for 4G LTE networks and is defined in 3GPP TS 36.101. NR-ARFCN is the 5G equivalent defined in 3GPP TS 38.104. NR-ARFCN uses a unified global raster across all frequencies, while EARFCN values are band-specific.
What is FR1 and FR2 in 5G?▾
FR1 (Frequency Range 1) covers sub-6 GHz bands from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz — most deployed 5G today uses FR1. FR2 (Frequency Range 2) covers mmWave bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz, offering very high bandwidth but shorter range.
Why does 5G use three different raster step sizes?▾
Different step sizes allow the 3GPP raster to efficiently align with the varied channel bandwidths used across FR1 and FR2. Wider steps (60 kHz) in mmWave are proportionally smaller relative to the carrier frequencies involved, while 5 kHz steps in the low band provide fine resolution.