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  • If you're shopping for cell phones or trying to figure out the capabilities of one that you already possess, you have a lot of jargon to deal with. Some of this jargon mentions "bands," and it's important to know which bands your phone uses.

    Band Basics

    In this context, a "band" is a section of an electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. Your television and radio tune into specific EM bands so you can watch TV and listen to music. These bands are reserved for those purposes so that you don't receive the wrong signal on the wrong device.

    Dual-Band

    A "dual-band" phone uses TDMA and CDMA to operate at 800/850 MHz and 1,900 MHz in North America. TDMA stands for Time Division Multiple Access, a technique that allows you to send and receive calls on a specific frequency without accidentally eavesdropping on other calls in that frequency.

    Tri-Band

    A GSM phone is tri-band. It stands for Global System for Mobile (Communications) and incorporates the previous two bands. In a nutshell, GSM technology allows a cell phone user to roam to many parts in the world while the local networks remain compatible with that person's device.

    Quad-Band

    A tri-band GSM phone is still not compatible with all major types of cell phone networks, but a quad-band cell phone is. Both bands of CDMA and GSM become available so that a cell phone can connect to virtually any major cell network in the world.

    Quad-Band Capabilities

    A quad-band phone can also usually connect to 3G and 4G networks. These numbers are used to signify the speed at which a person can send and receive data on the network. The different versions are also distinguished by degrees of advanced technology used to support those speeds.

    Source:

    GSM Overview

    4G Overview

    Band Definitions

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