Frequency Bands

Last updated: December 2, 2008

A cell's frequency band determines which frequency range the test set uses to communicate with a mobile station. The actual frequencies (uplink and downlink) used inside the frequency range are determined by the ARFCN.

The frequency ranges and channel arrangements, as well as the formulas that describe the actual frequency of the ARFCN, are detailed in the 3GPP TS 45.005 Version 5.9.0 Release 5 (with the exception of the T-GSM810 band) and the tables below.

	GSM 450	GSM 480	GSM 750
Programming Mnemonic	GSM450	GSM480	GSM750
UL/DL Frequency Separation (MHz)	10	10	30
Uplink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 450.4 through 457.6 Resolution: .2	Range: 478.8 through 486 Resolution: .2	Range: 747 through 762 Resolution: .2
Downlink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 460.4 through 467.6 Resolution: .2	Range: 488.8 through 496 Resolution: .2	Range: 777 through 792 Resolution: .2
ARFCN	259 through 293	306 through 340	438 through 511
Uplink (UL) Formula (MHz)	FUL(n) = 450.6 + 0.2*(n-259)	FUL(n) = 479 + 0.2*(n-306)	FUL(n) = 747.2 + 0.2*(n-438)
Downlink (DL) Formula (MHz)	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+10	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+10	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+30

	GSM 850	T-GSM810
Programming Mnemonic	GSM850	TGSM810
UL/DL Frequency Separation (MHz)	45	45
Uplink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 824 through 849 Resolution: .2	Range: 806 through 821 Resolution: .2
Downlink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 869 through 894 Resolution: .2	Range: 851 through 866 Resolution: .2
ARFCN	128 through 251	350-425
Uplink (UL) Formula (MHz)	FUL(n) = 824.2 + 0.2*(n-128)	FUL(n) = 806 + .2*(n-350)
Downlink (DL) Formula (MHz)	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+45	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+45

	PGSM 900 (Primary GSM)	EGSM 900 (Extended GSM)	RGSM 900 (Railways GSM)
Programming Mnemonic	PGSM	EGSM	RGSM
UL/DL Frequency Separation (MHz)	45	45	45
Uplink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 890 through 915 Resolution: .2	Range: 880 through 915 Resolution: .2	Range: 876 through 915 Resolution: .2
Downlink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 935 through 960 Resolution: .2	Range: 925 through 960 Resolution: .2	Range: 921 through 960 Resolution: .2
ARFCN	1 through 124	0 through 124 975 through 1023	0 through 124 955 through 1023
Uplink (UL) Formula (MHz)	FUL(n) = 890 + 0.2*n	FUL(n) = 890 + 0.2n (for n = 0 through 124) FUL(n) = 890 + 0.2(n-1024) (for n = 975 through 1023)	FUL(n) = 890 + 0.2n (for n = 0 through 124) FUL(n) = 890 + 0.2(n-1024) (for n = 955 through 1023)
Downlink (DL) Formula (MHz)	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+45	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+45	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+45

	DCS 1800	PCS 1900
Programming Mnemonic	DCS	PCS
UL/DL Frequency Separation (MHz)	95	80
Uplink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 1710 through 1785 Resolution: .2	Range: 1850 through 1910 Resolution: .2
Downlink Frequency (MHz)	Range: 1805 through 1880 Resolution: .2	Range: 1930 through 1990 Resolution: .2
ARFCN	512-885	512-810
Uplink (UL) Formula (MHz)	FUL(n) = 1710.2 + 0.2*(n-512)	FUL(n) = 1850.2 + .2*(n-512)
Downlink (DL) Formula (MHz)	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+95	FDL(n) = FUL(n)+80

You can specify the traffic channel (ARFCN) using the GPIB commands listed in the section describing the traffic channel, see TCH Parameters .

Operating Considerations

If a handover is attempted during a GSM call to a traffic band not supported by the mobile station, the call is dropped and the test set displays the following message, "GSM call disconnected; Channel assignment failure (Timer T3107 expiry)". The call will not be disconnected if the test set changes from one supported traffic band to the another during a call.

If the traffic channel is changed while a call is connected, the call will be dropped.

Changes to the Cell Band parameter are reflected in the Traffic Band parameter.

Frequency Bands

Operating Considerations

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