5G NR Spectrum

Band n25 (5G NR, Extended PCS)

Q: What is the G-block PCS spectrum?

The G-block consists of 5 MHz guard bands on each side of the standard PCS allocation that the FCC auctioned for commercial use. Standard PCS (Band 2) covers 1850-1910/1930-1990 MHz (60 MHz paired). The G-block extends this to 1850-1915/1930-1995 MHz (65 MHz paired). Sprint acquired most G-block licenses, which passed to T-Mobile after the merger. Band 25 (and its NR equivalent n25) was created to accommodate this extended allocation. Devices supporting Band n25 can use the full 65 MHz, while Band n2 devices are limited to the standard 60 MHz.

Q: How does Band n25 differ from Band n2?

Band n25 is a superset of Band n2. n2 covers 1850-1910/1930-1990 MHz (60 MHz paired); n25 covers 1850-1915/1930-1995 MHz (65 MHz paired), adding 5 MHz of G-block on each side. Any device supporting n25 can operate on n2 frequencies, but n2-only devices cannot access the G-block extensions. In modern chipset implementations (Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek Dimensity), n25 support is standard for US-market devices, effectively superseding n2 as the preferred band designation.

Q: How does T-Mobile use Band n25?

T-Mobile deploys Band n25 via DSS on former Sprint PCS spectrum to supplement its primary 5G layers (n41 for capacity, n71 for coverage). The 65 MHz paired allocation supports 15-20 MHz per carrier, providing 50-100 Mbps NR throughput via DSS. In many markets, T-Mobile uses n25 as an EN-DC anchor with n41 (DC_B25A-n41C), combining PCS reliability with 2.5 GHz capacity for aggregate throughput exceeding 2 Gbps.

/band en-TWEN-tee-fyve/

The 5G NR equivalent of LTE Band 25, spanning 1850 to 1915 MHz uplink and 1930 to 1995 MHz downlink (65 MHz paired FDD). An extended version of Band n2 that adds 5 MHz of G-block PCS spectrum on each side. Primarily used by T-Mobile (ex-Sprint) in the US market via DSS. Devices supporting n25 inherently support n2 frequencies, and n25 has largely superseded n2 in modern chipsets.

UL: 1850 – 1915 MHz

DL: 1930 – 1995 MHz

Mode: FDD (superset of n2)

Understanding Band n25

Band n25 exists because of a unique spectrum history. When the FCC originally allocated PCS spectrum in the 1990s, 5 MHz guard bands were left on each side of the main A-F block allocations. In 2007, these guard bands (G-block) were auctioned for commercial use, and Sprint acquired most licenses. Sprint created Band 25 (extended PCS) to utilize the full 65 MHz, and Band n25 carries this forward to 5G NR.

After the Sprint-T-Mobile merger, Band n25 became T-Mobile's PCS layer, supplementing its primary 5G assets (n41 at 2.5 GHz, n71 at 600 MHz). The additional 5 MHz per side allows slightly wider carriers or more flexible channel arrangements compared to n2. In practice, the distinction matters mainly for spectrum accounting; the RF performance is identical to n2 at these frequencies.

Band n25 Technical Parameters

Frequency (extended PCS):
UL: 1850 – 1915 MHz (65 MHz)
DL: 1930 – 1995 MHz (65 MHz)
Duplex spacing: 80 MHz

vs. Band n2 (standard PCS):
n2: 1850–1910/1930–1990 (60 MHz paired)
n25: +5 MHz each side (G-block extension)

NR Configuration:
SCS: 15 kHz (FDD) | Max channel: 20 MHz
EN-DC example: DC_B25A-n41C
Aggregate: PCS (20 MHz) + n41 (100 MHz) = 2+ Gbps

PCS Band Evolution

Era	Technology	Band	Bandwidth	Peak Speed
1996-2005	GSM/CDMA	PCS A-F blocks	60 MHz paired	14.4 kbps – 2 Mbps
2007-2015	LTE Band 2/25	PCS + G-block	60-65 MHz paired	100 Mbps
2020+	5G NR n2/n25	PCS + G-block (DSS)	60-65 MHz paired	100 Mbps (DSS) / 2+ Gbps (EN-DC)

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the G-block PCS spectrum?

5 MHz guard bands on each side of standard PCS, auctioned by FCC in 2007. Sprint acquired most licenses, now held by T-Mobile. Extends PCS from 60 MHz (n2) to 65 MHz (n25) paired. Devices supporting n25 can use the full 65 MHz; n2-only devices are limited to 60 MHz.

How does Band n25 differ from Band n2?

n25 is a superset of n2 (+5 MHz G-block each side). n25 devices work on n2 frequencies but not vice versa. Modern chipsets support n25 by default for US market, effectively superseding n2 as the preferred band designation in 3GPP specifications.

How does T-Mobile use Band n25?

DSS on ex-Sprint PCS sites supplements n41 (capacity) and n71 (coverage). 15 to 20 MHz carriers provide 50 to 100 Mbps NR. In EN-DC (DC_B25A-n41C), PCS provides connectivity while n41 delivers capacity for 2+ Gbps aggregate throughput.

Related Terms

← Band n20 Band n28 →

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