Free tool · Data & IoT
Cellular signal quality: RSRP, RSRQ & SINR
Enter RSRP, RSRQ, SINR or RSSI readings from a module and see whether the signal is good, usable or poor, and what to try next.
Enter the readings you have; any of them is enough.
| Reading | Value | Grade |
|---|
Grades use common field thresholds; LTE-M and NB-IoT are built to work at lower levels. A guide, not a specification.
How this works and its limits
Runs in your browser: what you enter stays on your device and is never uploaded.
Readings are graded against the measurement ranges defined by 3GPP and common field thresholds, with extra margin for LTE-M and NB-IoT. The grades are a guide: what counts as usable depends on the application, the technology and how much data the device sends.
You can also paste the answer to the AT+CSQ or AT+CESQ command (3GPP TS 27.007) and the tool reads the values out of it. Values are interpreted in your browser and never uploaded.
Data sources and licences
Operator names, brands and codes shown here are public reference data compiled from national regulators and other public sources. Their appearance does not indicate any partnership, endorsement, agreement or connectivity between unicomam.com and the named operators. All trademarks belong to their owners. Data is provided “as is” with no warranty; verify against the official source before relying on it for routing, billing or compliance decisions.
Regulatory information is for reference only and is not legal advice; check the regulator link and the “last verified” date.
Calculations follow 3GPP TS 23.038 / 23.003 / 27.007 / 36.101 / 38.101 (Release 18). This tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by 3GPP or ETSI.
How to read cellular signal metrics
Signal strength alone does not explain a bad connection. RSRP measures how strong the reference signal from a cell is, RSRQ adds how loaded and interfered the channel is, and SINR shows how clearly the wanted signal stands out from noise and interference. Read together, they tell whether a problem is coverage, interference or congestion.
RSRP is reported in dBm, from about -140 at the very edge of coverage to about -44 right next to a cell. For LTE and 5G broadband use, -90 dBm or better is good, -90 to -105 is usable, and below about -115 a connection struggles. RSRQ, in dB, runs from about -20 to -3: -10 or better is good, below -15 is poor. SINR above about 13 dB is good, around 0 dB is the edge of usable, and negative values mean noise and interference are as strong as the signal.
RSSI is the total power the module receives, wanted signal plus noise and interference, so it rises when neighboring cells are busy even if the serving cell is weak. That makes it a rough guide on its own; it is still what the AT+CSQ command reports, as an index from 0 to 31 that converts to dBm as -113 plus twice the index.
Two patterns are common in the field. Strong RSRP with poor RSRQ or SINR points to interference or a busy cell: moving or turning the antenna, or trying another band or network, helps more than a bigger antenna. Weak RSRP with clean RSRQ points to coverage: antenna placement, an external antenna, less metal around the device or a lower band that reaches further are the usual fixes.
LTE-M and NB-IoT are built to work at lower signal levels than standard LTE, thanks to coverage enhancement that repeats transmissions. The same reading can therefore be usable for a meter that sends a few bytes a day and poor for a camera that streams video. Repeated transmissions also cost energy, so weak coverage shortens battery life even when the device stays connected.