Frequencies used by common service providers

Have you ever wondered what frequencies were being used by different providers? It’s all strictly regulated by the FCC… if anything is being broadcast. That’s the reason your cell phone signal doesn’t interfere with your TV signal. In some cases though, the FCC has put two different things on the same frequencies, like cell phones and Wi-Fi. In those cases the signals are usually digital so they can more easily keep from causing interference with each other.

On the other hand, if the information is only going through wires and not through the air, there’s practically no regulation. That’s why DIRECTV coax networking signals take up the same frequencies as television, and that’s why you can’t diplex if you’re using coax networking.

Here’s a handy chart that lets you see the different frequencies in use:

Type of Broadcast Start Freq. End Freq.
DIRECTV SWM Control Frequency 2.3 2.3
VHF Low 76 88
FM Radio 87 107
VHF High 174 216
DIRECTV Ka-Lo (over cable) 250 750
UHF 470 698
DIRECTV Connected Home Networking 475 625
AT&T 4G (additional band 1) 704 716
AT&T 4G (additional band 2) 734 746
Verizon 4G (additional band 2) 746 756
Verizon 4G (additional band 1) 777 787
Cell Phone band 2 824 894
Cordless Phone band 1 902 928
DIRECTV SWM 950 1840
DIRECTV Ka-Hi (over cable) 1650 2150
AWS (4G) band 1 1710 1755
Cell Phone band 1 1850 1910
AWS (4G) band 1 2110 2155
Cordless Phone band 2 2400 2500
Wi-Fi band 1 2400 2500
Wi-Fi band 2 (802.11n only) 5000 5100
Cordless Phone band 3 5800 5900
Ku-Band (Satellite) 12000 18000
Ka-Band (Satellite) 26500 40000
All numbers are MegaHertz.

If you’re the kind of person who appreciates pictures instead of numbers, click or tap for the same information in a downloadable PDF. It’s been updated with even more information.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.