GSM frequency ranges
GSM frequency ranges or frequency bands are the
radio spectrum frequencies designated by the
ITU for the operation of the
GSM system for
mobile phones.
There are five frequency bands used by GSM mobile phones: GSM-900, GSM-1800, GSM-850, GSM-1900, and GSM-400. GSM Frequency band usage is defined in ETSI 05.05.
| System | Band | Uplink | Downlink | Channel Number | | GSM 400 | 450 | 450.4 - 457.6 | 460.4 - 467.6 | 259 - 293 |
| GSM 400 | 480 | 478.8 - 486.0 | 488.8 - 496.0 | 306 - 340 |
| GSM 850 | 850 | 824.0 - 849.0 | 869.0 - 894.0 | 128 - 251 |
| GSM 900 (P-GSM) | 900 | 890.0 - 915.0 | 935.0 - 960.0 | 1 - 124 |
| GSM 900 (E-GSM) | 900 | 880.0 - 915.0 | 925.0 - 960.0 | 0 - 124, 975 - 1023 |
| GSM-R (R-GSM) | 900 | 876.0 - 880.0 | 921.0 - 925.0 | 955 - 973 |
| DSC 1800 | 1800 | 1710.0 - 1785.0 | 1805.0 - 1880.0 | 512 - 885 |
| PCS 1900 | 1900 | 1850.0 - 1910.0 | 1930.0 - 1990.0 | 512 - 810 |
|
Note: The table shows the extents of the band and not center frequency.
GSM-900 and GSM-1800
GSM-900 and GSM-1800 are used in most parts of the world.
*GSM-900 uses 890 - 915 MHz to send information from the
Mobile Station to the
Base Transceiver Station (uplink) and 935 - 960 MHz for the other direction (downlink), providing 124 RF channels (channel numbers 1 to 124) spaced at 200 kHz. Duplex spacing of 45 MHz is used.:In some countries the GSM-900 band has been extended to cover a larger frequency range. This 'extended GSM', E-GSM, uses frequency range 880 - 915 MHz (uplink) and 925 - 960 MHz (downlink), adding 50 channels (channel numbers 975 to 1023) to the original GSM-900 band. The GSM specifications also describe 'railways GSM',
GSM-R, which uses frequency range 876 - 915 MHz (uplink) and 921 - 960 MHz (downlink). Channel numbers 955 to 1023. GSM-R provides additional channels and specialized services for use by railway personnel.
All these variants are included in the GSM-900 specification.
*GSM-1800 uses 1710 - 1785 MHz to send information from the
Mobile Station to the
Base Transceiver Station (uplink) and 1805 - 1880 MHz for the other direction (downlink), providing 374 channels (channel numbers 512 to 885). Duplex spacing is 95 MHz.
GSM-1800 is also called PCS in
Hong Kong and the
United Kingdom. Most of the GSM operators in
India use the 900 MHz band. The only operator to use 1800 Mhz is Airtel.
GSM-850 and GSM-1900
GSM-850 and GSM-1900 are used in the
United States,
Canada, and many other countries in the Americas. GSM-850 is also sometimes erroneously called GSM-800.
*GSM-850 uses 824 - 849 MHz to send information from the
Mobile Station to the
Base Transceiver Station (uplink) and 869 - 894 MHz for the other direction (downlink). Channel numbers 128 to 251.
*GSM-1900 uses 1850 - 1910 MHz to send information from the
Mobile Station to the
Base Transceiver Station (uplink) and 1930 - 1990 MHz for the other direction (downlink). Channel numbers 512 to 810.
PCS is an initialism for
Personal Communications Service and merely represents the original name in
North America for the 1900 MHz band.
Cellular is the term used to describe the 850 MHz band, as the original
analog cellular mobile communication system was allocated in this spectrum. Providers commonly operate in one or both frequency ranges.
GSM-400
Another less common GSM version is GSM-400. It uses the same frequency as and can co-exist with old analog
NMT systems. NMT is a first generation (
1G) mobile phone system which was primarily used in
Nordic countries,
Eastern Europe and
Russia prior to the introduction of GSM. It operates in either 450.4 - 457.6 MHz paired with 460.4 - 467.6 MHz (channel numbers 259 to 293), or 478.8 - 486 MHz paired with 488.8 - 496 MHz (channel numbers 306 to 340).
In North America, GSM operates on the primary mobile communication bands - 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. Initial implementations were exclusively 1900 MHz, with 850 MHz being added in 2001. In
Canada, GSM-1900 is the primary frequency used in urban areas with 850 as a backup, and GSM-850 being the primary rural frequency. In the
United States, regulatory requirements determine which area can use which frequency.
GSM-1900 and GSM-850 are also used in parts of South and Central America, and both Ecuador and Panama uses GSM-850 exclusively. Some countries in the Americas use GSM-900 or GSM-1800.
The result is a mixture of usage in the Americas that requires travelers to confirm that the phone they have is compatible with the frequency of the network at their destination. Frequency-compatibility problems can be avoided through the use of multi-band, tri-band, or especially quad-band, phones.
Some countries in the Americas that use GSM-1900 phones:
*
Antigua*
Argentina - also uses GSM-850
*
Belize*
Bermuda*
Bolivia*
Canada - also uses GSM-850
*
Chile- also uses GSM-850
*
Colombia*
Dominican Republic*
Honduras -also uses GSM-850
*
Mexico*
Paraguay*
Peru*
Puerto Rico*
Trinidad and Tobago - also uses GSM-850 and GSM-1800 (850/1800 and 850/1900)
*
United States - also uses GSM-850
*
U.S. Virgin Islands* British Virgin Islands - also uses GSM-900
Some countries in the Americas that use GSM-850 phones:
*
Anguilla*
Argentina - also uses GSM 1900
*
Honduras - also uses GSM 1900
*
Panama*
Ecuador*
Montserrat*
United States - also uses GSM-1900
*
Canada - also uses GSM-1900
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* Grenada
Some countries in the Americas that use GSM-900 phones:
*
Brazil - also uses GSM-1800
*
Venezuela*
Suriname*
French Guiana* St. Pierre and Miquelon Islands
* British Virgin Islands - also uses GSM-1900
Some countries in the Americas that use GSM-1800 phones:
*
Costa RicaThese lists are not exhaustive.
Nowadays most phones support multiple
frequencies used in different countries. These are typically referred to as multi band phones. Dual-band phones can cover GSM networks in pairs such as 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies (Europe, Asia, Australia and Brazil) or 850 and 1900 (North America). European tri-band phones typically cover the 900, 1800 and 1900 bands giving good coverage in Europe and allowing limited use in North America. Just the same, North American tri-band phones utilize 850, 1800 and 1900 for wide-spread North American service but limited world-wide use. A new addition has been the quad-band phone, supporting all four major GSM frequency groups, allowing for widespread usage globally, including in North America.
There are also multi-mode phones which can operate on GSM systems as well as on mobile-phone systems using other technical standards. Often these phones use multiple frequency bands as well. For example, one version of the Nokia 6340i
GAIT phone sold in North America can operate on GSM-1900, GSM-850 and legacy
TDMA-1900, TDMA-800, and
AMPS-800, making it both multi-mode and multi-band.
*
Coverage & Roaming A Canadian mobile-phone company's international roaming information for consumers.
*
GSM Coverage Maps and Roaming Information GSM World's listing of countries, frequencies, and roaming agreements.
