Last update November 14, 2021
What frequency band does 5G use? The answer really depends on the carrier. Verizon, AT&T, C Spire or T-Mobile. It also depends on where you are located. It can be very confusing trying to figure this out. We did the research to answer this and other questions as well.
Table of Contents
Frequency Bands of 5G networks in the USA
Here is a complete list of frequencies and bands of 5G networks. As you will see below, some of these bands are shared with 4G networks. Contrary to what many might think, 4G networks are alive and well and will be until 2030 – maybe even longer! In fact both 4G and 5G deployments are growing rapidly.
5G networks use two primary regions of spectrum Frequency Range 1 (FR1) that goes as high as 7.125 GHz and FR2 that goes from 24 GHz to 52.6 GHz. Carriers in the USA however are only currently using 5G networks up to 40 GHz.
Unlike 4G, all the bands for 5G have a prefix n. This is to indicate that they are associated with the NR specification.
Verizon 5G Frequency Bands
Here is a list of the bands and their respective frequencies for Verizon 5G networks
| Band | Frequency |
| n2, n25 | 1900 MHz |
| n5, n26 | 850 MHz |
| n66 | 1700 & 2100 MHz |
| n261 | 28 GHz |
| n260 | 39 GHz |
T-Mobile 5G Frequency Bands
Here is a list of the bands and their respective frequencies for T-Mobile 5G networks
| Band | Frequency |
| n41 | 2500 MHz |
| n71 | 600 MHz |
| n260 | 39 GHz |
| n261 | 28 GHz |
AT&T 5G Frequency Bands
Here is a list of the bands and their respective frequencies for AT&T 5G networks
| Band | Frequency |
| n5, n26 | 850 MHz |
| n260 | 39 GHz |
C Spire 5G Frequency Bands
Here is a list of the bands and their respective frequencies for C Spire 5G networks
| Band | Frequency |
| n2, n25 | 1900 MHz |
| n12, n13, n14, n29 | 700 MHz |
| n261 | 28 GHz |
What is the frequency range of 5G?
5G frequencies range from 400 MHz to 52 GHz. That’s the widest range of frequencies for any wireless technology developed to date! This is a contributing factor to how challenging it is to: 1) build equipment for 5G and also 2) deploy 5G.
Why do you need to know the band of 5G?
As you can see from the table above 5G occupies different bands and frequency ranges depending on the carrier. You need this information for at least two reasons. The first is when you buy a 5G cell phone you have to ensure that it will operate in the 5G band corresponding to your carrier. The second reason is that when you buy a signal booster for 5G it has to operate in the same 5G bands as your carrier.
What is 5G low band?
Low band refers to frequencies below 1 GHz. In the low-band 5G is able to achieve speeds between 30 Mbit/s and 250 Mbit/s.
What is 5G mid band?
Mid band refers to frequencies in the range of 1 GHz to 6 GHz. In the mid-band 5G is able to achieve speeds between 100 Mbit/s to 900 Mbit/s.
What is 5G high band?
High band refers to frequencies in the range of 24 GHz to 40 GHz. In this band, 5G is able to achieve gigabit per second speeds.
How can I make 5G signal or spectrum measurements?
5G signal or spectrum can be measured and analyzed using a spectrum analyzer. We recommend the use of a real-time spectrum analyzer such as the Tek RSA306B for this application.
Summary
In this post we have summarized the 5G bands in the USA. Whether you are buying a cell phone or a signal booster or just curious, this information is useful.