FR1
Frequency Range 1: the sub-6 GHz bands (410 MHz to 7125 MHz) used in 5G NR, offering wider coverage with moderate bandwidth.
FR1 is the sub-6 GHz range — though the name is now slightly dated, since 3GPP extended its upper edge to 7125 MHz to take in the 6 GHz bands. This is where the bulk of 5G actually runs. It covers the low bands that carry coverage and indoor signal (600–900 MHz), and the mid-band 3.3–4.2 GHz range that's the real capacity workhorse for sub-6 5G.
Compared with FR2, FR1 trades peak bandwidth for reach and reliability. Channel bandwidths top out at 100 MHz per carrier, modest beside FR2's 400 MHz, but the propagation is far friendlier — signals travel further, penetrate buildings, and don't fall over when someone blocks the path. That's why FR1 mid-band is what most subscribers experience as "5G," and why operators aggregate several FR1 carriers (and add FR2 hotspots) when they need more than one carrier can give. Subcarrier spacings here are 15, 30, or 60 kHz.
Frequently asked questions
- Is FR1 the same as "sub-6 GHz"?
- Mostly, but not exactly anymore. FR1 originally meant sub-6 GHz, but 3GPP raised its upper bound to 7125 MHz to include the 6 GHz spectrum, so the range now reaches a bit above 6 GHz. In everyday conversation people still say "sub-6" and "FR1" interchangeably, and for the dominant mid-band 3.5 GHz deployments the distinction does not matter.
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