Cell phone frequencies, and what do they mean?

Here's a list of current mobile wireless frequencies used by major cell phone carriers in USA & Canada.

• AT&T 4G LTE (700 MHz, Band 17).
• AT&T 4G LTE (1700 MHz, Band 4).
• AT&T 4G LTE (1900 MHz, Band 2).
• MetroPCS 3G (1700/ 2100 MHz AWS).
• MetroPCS 4G LTE (1700 MHz, Band 4).
• Sprint 4G LTE (1900 MHz, Band 25).
• Sprint 4G LTE (850 MHz, Band 26).
• Sprint 4G LTE (2500 MHz, Band 41).
• T-Mobile 3G (1700/ 2100 MHz AWS).
• T-Mobile 4G LTE (1700 MHz, Band 4).
• US Cellular 4G LTE (700 MHz, Band 12).
• Verizon 4G LTE (700 MHz, Band 13).
• Verizon 4G LTE (1700 MHz, Band 4).
• Bell 4G LTE (700 MHz, Band 12).
• Bell 4G LTE (2600 MHz, Band 7).
• Rogers 4G LTE (700 MHz, Band 17).
• Rogers 4G LTE (2600 MHz, Band 7).
• SaskTel 4G LTE (1700 MHz, Band 4).
• SaskTel 4G LTE (2600 MHz, Band 7).
• Telus 4G LTE (1700 MHz, Band 4).

Here is a chart showing USA and Canadian carrier frequencies:

Most people considering the purchase of a cell phone signal booster, have many questions regarding the compatibility of their carrier. This list shows the main United States and Canadian carriers, and lists their frequencies.

3G (meaning ‘Third Generation’) is a mobile telecommunications system for cell phones; handling text, talk, and basic mobile internet. It came into popularity in the 2000s in North America.

3G Frequencies

CDMA (meaning ‘Code Division Multiple Access’) was developed by an American Tech Company called Qualcomm. In the 1990s CDMA grew in popularity, becoming the most popular mobile standard in certain countries, including North America.

• CDMA Wireless Network/Carriers in the United States: Sprint, Verizon, Boost Mobile, US Cellular, Ting, C Spire, and Virgin Mobile;

• CDMA Wireless Network/Carriers in Canada: Telus, Bell, Virgin Mobile, Koodo, MTS, and Sasktel.

GSM (meaning ‘Global System for Mobiles) was developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. In the 1980s GSM grew in popularity and today it’s the most popular mobile standard in more than 219 countries right around the world.

• GSM Wireless Network/ Carriers in the United States: T-Mobile, AT&T, and MetroPCS;

• GSM Wireless Network/Carriers in Canada: Fido, Rogers, Mobilicity, and Wind.

It’s important to note that CDMA and GSM phones are not compatible with each other.

4G Frequencies

4G (meaning ‘Fourth Generation’) In the 2010s, 4G grew in popularity in North America as a mobile telecommunications system for cell phones: 4G phones are backward-compatible with 3G, handling text, talk, and data-heavy fast internet.

WiMAX: This was one of the original 4G standards, but today the popularity has moved to LTE. Clear, which is owned by Sprint Nextel, will continue supporting WiMAX until the end of 2015, which is when it will switch to LTE.

LTE (meaning ‘Long Term Evolution’) is considered the true 4G, and globally is a very popular mobile standard. LTE uses different bands and frequencies in different countries, and a multi-band LTE-compatible phone will probably work in different countries.

HSPA+ (meaning Evolved High-Speed Packet Access) is considered to be 3.5G instead of true 4G. However, HPSA+ is capable of delivering 4G speeds.

• HSPA+ Wireless Network Carriers in the United States: T-Mobile, AT&T, Cincinnati Bell, and so on;

• HSPA+ Wireless Network/Carriers in Canada: Telus, Bell, Wind, Rogers, MTS, Sasktel, Videotron, and so on.

Please note that, while 3G handles text, talk, and basic internet, 4G can also handle 3G duties, in addition to fast streaming internet for data-heavy services, such as Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, Netflix, Hulu, Google Chrome, iTunes, Google Maps, and other apps.

Check out our cell phone signal boosters that operate on most main phones and carriers for vehicles like RVs, cars, and boats, and buildings like offices and homes.

If you’re looking for a starting point with signal boosters, check out our, " Differences between Various Signal Boosters" page: this should provide you with all the information you need.

Whether you need a building kit or a vehicle kit, we’ve got the perfect, tailor-made solution for you. Another suggestion is to start by shopping by your US or Canadian carrier.