EARFCN
The E-UTRA absolute radio frequency channel number names one LTE carrier: a band and an exact frequency encoded in one integer.
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The E-UTRA absolute radio frequency channel number (EARFCN) names the center of one LTE carrier. It encodes the band and the carrier frequency in a single integer, so field tools translate it to and from megahertz.
Debugging attachment starts from the channel the device actually camps on.
Some modules allow band or channel locking for testing; it is not a fix for coverage problems and can violate the operator's terms.
One integer, one carrier
An EARFCN names the center of a carrier. 3GPP TS 36.101 gives each E-UTRA band its own EARFCN range, and the ranges do not overlap, so the number identifies the band as well as the frequency. Within the band, its N_Offs and lowest frequency turn the number into MHz: the band's lowest uplink or downlink frequency plus 0.1 MHz for each step above the offset.
The uplink and downlink channel numbers are paired by band. A device reports the EARFCN it camps on alongside the physical cell identity and signal measurements.
Band support is a device property; the EARFCN is what the network deployed. Confirm the band, the channel width and the duplex mode before translating a number. Read the offset table for that band rather than assuming a global formula, then use the EARFCN calculator to translate the number.
Which band the number names
| Value | Zone | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| B28 | 700 MHz | Low band · 95% |
| B3 | 1800 MHz | Mid band · 65% |
| B7 | 2600 MHz | Mid-high band · 45% |
| B41 | 2500 MHz | Wide mid band · 50% |
| n78 | 3500 MHz | 5G mid band · 30% |
B3 · Relative reach
Text description
The chart lists five bands with their frequencies and a relative reach bar. The table labels n78 as a 5G mid band. 5G uses NR-ARFCN. The note names B3, one band an EARFCN can name. Each band has its own non-overlapping EARFCN range, so the number identifies the band as well as the frequency.