7
d. Bands
Your cell phone connects to towers on certain ‘frequency bands.” These bands are licensed to
each carrier by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US.
Each frequency band has a certain “bandwidth” which determines it’s total data capacity. That
capacity is split amongst the users who are connected to it.
In general, higher frequency bands (like 1900 MHz and 2100 MHz) travel less far and penetrate
building materials less well than lower frequency bands (like 700 MHz and 800 MHz). As a
result, higher frequency bands tend to be less “congested” - they have fewer users connected
to them, and data rates are often faster. This isn't always the case though, sometimes a lower
frequency band may have better data rates, depending on your location.
Newer phones have a feature called “carrier aggregation,” which means that they can connect
on multiple bands simultaneously to increase data rates.
The Cel-Fi GO G41 can boost up to 2 bands simultaneously
. Depending on the signal
conditions in your area, there may be just 1 cellular band available, or up to 5. After you’ve
completed a provisional install, you can experiment with enabling specific frequency bands to
see if a particular combination gets you the best speed test results.
Unfortunately, FCC regulations don’t yet allow consumer signal boosters in the US to amplify
LTE band 30 (2300 MHz), band 41 (2500 MHz), or band 71 (600 MHz).
Okay, thanks for reading that!
We know that's a lot of information, but we promise it'll be helpful as you start your install. Our
goal is to get you strong, amplified signal and the best possible signal quality on the bands
that get you the best data rates. Let's get started!
Low Frequency Bands
More congested, lower data rates
Travel further, penetrate buildings
700 MHz (Bands 12, 13, 17)
850 MHz (Band 5)
1900 MHz (Band 2)
2100 MHz (Band 4, 66)
High Frequency Bands
Less congested, faster data rates
Travel less far, don’t penetrate buildings
