Noun
Band 71 refers to the radio frequency band around 600 MHz used for mobile phone communication since 2017. This band is particularly used for newer cellular technologies like 4G LTE and 5G NR.
In the United States, T-Mobile predominantly owns the rights to Band 71. They initially deployed their 4G service on this band in 2017 and subsequently launched their 5G service using the same frequency range in 2019.
Band 71 spans the frequencies from 617 MHz to 698 MHz, divided into ten blocks (A–G), each covering about 10 MHz. It operates as a paired band, with 617 MHz to 652 MHz designated for downlink (tower to mobile device) and 653 MHz to 693 MHz for uplink (mobile device to tower).
Previously utilized for UHF TV channels 38 to 51, Band 71 was repurposed for mobile communications after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conducted a spectrum auction in 2017, where T-Mobile secured the licenses.
Due to its lower frequency, Band 71 can provide superior service coverage, especially in rural areas and inside buildings, as lower frequencies travel further and penetrate obstructions more effectively.
Example of Band 71 in a sentence:
"T-Mobile offers 4G and 5G services on the Band 71 spectrum."
Related Terms for Band 71:
See Also: Why Your Cell Phone Keeps Dropping Calls and How to Fix It