Frequency to EARFCN Converter
Enter an LTE frequency in MHz to get the EARFCN, identify the matching 3GPP band and detect whether the value falls in the downlink or uplink range. Based on 3GPP TS 36.101 §5.7.
EARFCN raster step is 100 kHz (0.1 MHz).
LTE band reference (TS 36.101)
| Band | DL (MHz) | N_OFFS_DL | UL (MHz) | N_OFFS_UL | BW (MHz) | Duplex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | 2110–2170 | 0 | 1920–1980 | 18,000 | 5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B2 | 1930–1990 | 600 | 1850–1910 | 18,600 | 1.4,3,5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B3 | 1805–1880 | 1,200 | 1710–1785 | 19,200 | 1.4,3,5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B4 | 2110–2155 | 1,950 | 1710–1755 | 19,950 | 1.4,3,5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B5 | 869–894 | 2,400 | 824–849 | 20,400 | 1.4,3,5,10 | FDD |
| B7 | 2620–2690 | 2,750 | 2500–2570 | 20,750 | 5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B8 | 925–960 | 3,450 | 880–915 | 21,450 | 1.4,3,5,10 | FDD |
| B12 | 729–746 | 5,010 | 699–716 | 23,010 | 1.4,3,5,10 | FDD |
| B13 | 746–756 | 5,180 | 777–787 | 23,180 | 5,10 | FDD |
| B17 | 734–746 | 5,730 | 704–716 | 23,730 | 5,10 | FDD |
| B20 | 791–821 | 6,150 | 832–862 | 24,150 | 5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B25 | 1930–1995 | 8,040 | 1850–1915 | 26,040 | 1.4,3,5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B26 | 859–894 | 8,690 | 814–849 | 26,690 | 1.4,3,5,10,15 | FDD |
| B28 | 758–803 | 9,210 | 703–748 | 27,210 | 3,5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B38 | 2570–2620 | 37,750 | 2570–2620 | 37,750 | 5,10,15,20 | TDD |
| B40 | 2300–2400 | 38,650 | 2300–2400 | 38,650 | 5,10,15,20 | TDD |
| B41 | 2496–2690 | 39,650 | 2496–2690 | 39,650 | 5,10,15,20 | TDD |
| B42 | 3400–3600 | 41,590 | 3400–3600 | 41,590 | 5,10,15,20 | TDD |
| B66 | 2110–2200 | 66,436 | 1710–1780 | 131,972 | 1.4,3,5,10,15,20 | FDD |
| B71 | 617–652 | 68,586 | 663–698 | 133,122 | 5,10,15,20 | FDD |
About the EARFCN
E-UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN) is the integer index LTE uses to identify every 100 kHz carrier raster point. For downlink the formula is EARFCN_DL = N_OFFS_DL + (F_DL − F_DL_low) / 0.1; for uplink it is EARFCN_UL = N_OFFS_UL + (F_UL − F_UL_low) / 0.1. The offsets and low-edge frequencies are defined per band in 3GPP TS 36.101.
TDD bands (38, 40, 41, 42) share one range for DL and UL so the same EARFCN serves both directions. FDD bands have separate DL and UL numbering blocks — which is why a single frequency can only be DL or UL, never both, in a given band.
Typical users
LTE RF planners, field drive-test engineers correlating scanner measurements with cell configuration, and L3 protocol engineers decoding EARFCNs from RRCConnectionReconfiguration, SIB1 and measurement reports.
Related tools
- Frequency to NR-ARFCN — 5G NR equivalent.
- NR-ARFCN Calculator — bidirectional 5G converter.
- NR Band Reference — filterable NR band table.
How to use this tool
- Enter the frequency. Type the LTE carrier frequency in MHz.
- Convert. The tool matches it to the LTE band(s) covering that frequency.
- Read the EARFCN. See the resulting EARFCN, the band, and whether it is the downlink or uplink carrier.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get the EARFCN from a frequency?
- Invert the TS 36.101 relation: for downlink N_DL = N_OFFS-DL + (F_DL − F_DL_low) / 0.1, and similarly for uplink. Enter the frequency, the tool finds the band whose range contains it and rounds to the nearest 100 kHz raster point to give the EARFCN.
- Can one frequency produce more than one EARFCN?
- Yes. Some LTE bands overlap in frequency (for example several 700 MHz and 850 MHz bands), so a single frequency can be valid in more than one band, each with its own offset and EARFCN. The tool reports every band that contains the frequency.
- Does this give me the DL or the UL EARFCN?
- Both, where they apply. For an FDD band the downlink and uplink sit on different frequencies, so you usually enter a DL frequency to get the DL EARFCN. The tool labels each result so you know which carrier and direction it belongs to.
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