LTE Frequency Bands & Spectrum Allocations

- a summary and tables of the LTE frequency band spectrum allocations for 3G & 4G
LTE - TDD and FDD.
There is a growing number of LTE frequency bands that are being designated as possibilities for use
with LTE. Many of the LTE frequency bands are already in use for other cellular systems, whereas
other LTE bands are new and being introduced as other users are re-allocated spectrum elsewhere.

FDD and TDD LTE frequency bands

FDD spectrum requires pair bands, one of the uplink and one for the downlink, and TDD requires a
single band as uplink and downlink are on the same frequency but time separated. As a result, there are
different LTE band allocations for TDD and FDD. In some cases these bands may overlap, and it is
therefore feasible, although unlikely that both TDD and FDD transmissions could be present on a
particular LTE frequency band.
The greater likelihood is that a single UE or mobile will need to detect whether a TDD or FDD
transmission should be made on a given band. UEs that roam may encounter both types on the same
band. They will therefore need to detect what type of transmission is being made on that particular LTE
band in its current location.
The different LTE frequency allocations or LTE frequency bands are allocated numbers. Currently the
LTE bands between 1 & 22 are for paired spectrum, i.e. FDD, and LTE bands between 33 & 41 are for
unpaired spectrum, i.e. TDD.

LTE frequency band definitions

FDD LTE frequency band allocations

There is a large number of allocations or radio spectrum that has been reserved for FDD, frequency
division duplex, LTE use.
The FDD LTE frequency bands are paired to allow simultaneous transmission on two frequencies. The
bands also have a sufficient separation to enable the transmitted signals not to unduly impair the
receiver performance. If the signals are too close then the receiver may be "blocked" and the sensitivity

impaired. The separation must be sufficient to enable the roll-off of the antenna filtering to give
sufficient attenuation of the transmitted signal within the receive band.
FDD LTE Bands & Frequencies
LTE
Band
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Uplink
(MHz)

Downlink
(MHz)

1920 - 1980
1850 - 1910
1710 - 1785
1710 - 1755
824 - 849
830 - 840
2500 - 2570
880 - 915
1749.9 - 1784.9
1710 - 1770
1427.9 - 1452.9
698 - 716
777 - 787
788 - 798
1900 - 1920
2010 - 2025
704 - 716
815 - 830
830 - 845
832 - 862
1447.9 - 1462.9
3410 - 3500
2000 - 2020
1625.5 - 1660.5
1850 - 1915
814 - 849
807 - 824
703 - 748
n/a
2305 - 2315
452.5 - 457.5

2110 - 2170
1930 - 1990
1805 -1880
2110 - 2155
869 - 894
875 - 885
2620 - 2690
925 - 960
1844.9 - 1879.9
2110 - 2170
1475.9 - 1500.9
728 - 746
746 - 756
758 - 768
2600 - 2620
2585 - 2600
734 - 746
860 - 875
875 - 890
791 - 821
1495.5 - 1510.9
3510 - 3600
2180 - 2200
1525 - 1559
1930 - 1995
859 - 894
852 - 869
758 - 803
717 - 728
2350 - 2360
462.5 - 467.5

Width of Duplex
Band Gap
Band
Spacing
(MHz)
(MHz)
(MHz)
60
190
130
60
80
20
75
95
20
45
400
355
25
45
20
10
35
25
70
120
50
35
45
10
35
95
60
60
400
340
20
48
28
18
30
12
10
-31
41
10
-30
40
20
700
680
15
575
560
12
30
18
15
45
30
15
45
30
30
-41
71
15
48
33
90
100
10
20
180
160
34
-101.5
135.5
65
80
15
30 / 40
10
17
45
28
45
55
10
11
10
45
35
5
10
5

TDD LTE frequency band allocations

With the interest in TDD LTE, there are several unpaired frequency allocations that are being prepared
for LTR TDD use. The TDD LTE bands are unpaired because the uplink and downlink share the same
frequency, being time multiplexed.
TDD LTE Bands & Frequencies
LTE Band
Number
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44

Allocation (MHz)

Width of Band (MHz)

1900 - 1920
2010 - 2025
1850 - 1910
1930 - 1990
1910 - 1930
2570 - 2620
1880 - 1920
2300 - 2400
2496 - 2690
3400 - 3600
3600 - 3800
703 - 803

20
15
60
60
20
50
40
100
194
200
200
100

There are regular additions to the LTE frequency bands / LTE spectrum allocations as a result of
negotiations at the ITU regulatory meetings. These LTE allocations are resulting in part from the digital
dividend, and also from the pressure caused by the ever growing need for mobile communications.
Many of the new LTE spectrum allocations are relatively small, often 10 - 20MHz in bandwidth, and
this is a cause for concern. With LTE-Advanced needing bandwidths of 100 MHz, channel aggregation
over a wide set of frequencies many be needed, and this has been recognised as a significant
technological problem. . . . . . . . .

LTE Frequency Band Notes

- additional notes and information about the LTE frequency bands.
There are many different bands that are being allocated for use with LTE. These bands are defined on
the previous page.
On this page, additional notes and information are given about these different LTE bands.

LTE bands overview

The number of bands allocated for use has increased as the pressure increases on spectrum.
It has not been possible for all LTE band allocations to be the same across the globe because of the
different regulatory positions in different countries. It has not been possible to gain global allocations.
In some cases bands appear to overlap. This is because of the different levels of availability around the
globe.
This means that roaming with LTE may have some limitations as not all handsets or UEs will be able to
access the same frequencies.

Notes accompanying LTE band tabulations

There are a few notes that can give some background to the LTE bands defined in the table on the
previous page.

LTE Band 1: This is one of the paired bands that was defined for the 3G UTRA and 3GPP rel
99.
LTE Band 4: This LTE band was introduced as a new band for the Americas at the World
(Administrative) Radio Conference, WRC-2000. This international conference is where
international spectrum allocations are agreed. The downlink of band 4 overlaps with the
downlink for Band 1. This facilitates roaming.

LTE Band 9: This band overlaps with Band 3 but has different band limits and it is also only
intended for use in Japan. This enables roaming to be achieved more easily, and many terminals
are defined such that that are dual band 3 + 9

LTE Band 10: This band is an extension to Band 4 and may not be available everywhere. It
provides an increase from 45 MHz bandwidth (paired) to 60 MHz paired.

LTE Band 11: This "1500 MHz" band is identified by 3GPP as a Japanese band, but it is
allocated globally to the mobile service on a "co-primary basis".

LTE Band 12: This band was previously used for broadcasting and has been released as a
result of the "Digital Dividend."

LTE Band 13: This band was previously used for broadcasting and has been released as a
result of the "Digital Dividend." The duplex configuration is reversed from the standard, having
the uplink higher in frequency than the downlink.

LTE Band 14: This band was previously used for broadcasting and has been released as a
result of the "Digital Dividend." The duplex configuration is reversed from the standard, having
the uplink higher in frequency than the downlink.

LTE Band 15: This LTE band has been defined by ETSI for use in Europe, but this has not
been adopted by 3GPP. This band combines two nominally TDD bands to provide one FDD
band.

LTE Band 16: This LTE band has been defined by ETSI for use in Europe, but this has not
been adopted by 3GPP. This band combines two nominally TDD bands to provide one FDD
band.

LTE Band 17: This band was previously used for broadcasting and has been released as a
result of the "Digital Dividend."

LTE Band 20: The duplex configuration is reversed from the standard, having the uplink
higher in frequency than the downlink.

LTE Band 21: This "1500 MHz" band is identified by 3GPP as a Japanese band, but it is
allocated globally to the mobile service on a "co-primary basis".

LTE Band 24: The duplex configuration is reversed from the standard, having the uplink
higher in frequency than the downlink.

LTE Band 33: This was one of the bands defined for unpaired spectrum in Rel 99 of the 3GPP
specifications.

LTE Band 34: This was one of the bands defined for unpaired spectrum in Rel 99 of the 3GPP
specifications.

LTE Band 38: This band is in the centre band spacing between the uplink and downlink pairs
of LTE band 7.

Although 3GPP can defined bands for use in LTE or any other mobile service, the actual allocations are
made on an international basis by the ITU are World radio Conferences, and then the individual country
administrations can allocate spectrum use in their own countries. 3GPP has no legal basis, and can only
work with the various country administrations.
Frequency bands may be allocated on a primary and secondary basis. Primary users have the first
access to a band, secondary users, in general, may use the band provided they do not cause interference
to the primary users.