Frequency ↔ Band Converter
Convert a frequency to cellular band(s), or look up a band by number. Covers GSM, WCDMA, LTE and 5G NR.
How Frequency Bands Are Defined
Each radio access technology (RAT) defines operating bands as frequency ranges for the downlink (base station transmit) and uplink (UE transmit). A frequency belongs to a band if it falls within that band's DL or UL range:
DL match: DLlow ≤ f ≤ DLhigh
UL match: ULlow ≤ f ≤ ULhigh
A frequency may match multiple bands across different RATs — for example, 1842.5 MHz falls in LTE Band 3 (1800 MHz DL) and may also overlap with a 5G NR n3 band. This tool shows all matches so you can identify the active technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my frequency match multiple bands?▾
Spectrum refarming means that the same frequency range is often used by more than one technology. For example, the 1800 MHz band (originally GSM) is now also used for LTE (Band 3) and 5G NR (n3). All matching bands are shown so you can determine which technology is operating at that frequency.
What is the difference between downlink and uplink frequency?▾
In FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) systems, the base station transmits on the downlink frequency and the UE transmits on the uplink frequency. The DL and UL bands are separated by a duplex gap. In TDD systems, both directions use the same frequency range but at different times.
How do I identify a 5G NR band by frequency?▾
5G NR FR1 (sub-6 GHz) bands span roughly 410 MHz to 7125 MHz, while FR2 (mmWave) covers 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. Many NR bands are co-located with existing LTE bands — this tool will show an NR match alongside the LTE match when the frequency falls in both ranges.
What is the guard band?▾
Guard bands are unused spectrum at the edges of each allocated band that prevent interference with adjacent channels. They are why a 20 MHz LTE carrier actually occupies slightly less than 20 MHz of active subcarriers — around 18 MHz carries data, with guard bands on each side.