What is the FR3 Frequency Range?

FR3 (Frequency Range 3) is the frequency range from 7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz. This frequency band lies between the FR1 (Sub-6GHz) and FR2 (above 24 GHz) bands that are currently used by 5G Technology. This upper mid-band frequency range (FR3) will have several potential use cases in 5G and 6G Technology.

The good thing about this frequency band is that it lies in the sweet spot between FR1 and FR2. Giving it the best of both worlds. Unlike the lower frequency FR1 (sub-6 GHz) band, FR3 will offer substantially wider bandwidths, enabling the transmission of large amounts of data at incredibly high speeds. And unlike the high-frequency FR2 band, FR3 will have better propagation properties, allowing it to be used in urban settings and cities where there are lots of tall buildings.

It is still early days for the FR3 band as it is still to be officially announced. Also, the FR1 and FR2 bands have still not been utilized to their potential, so FR3 will only start being used once these existing bands start to reach their limits. Based on some research papers, this is expected to happen between 2028-2030. The use of this frequency band will also be a regulatory challenge, as these frequencies are used for a wide range of applications in different countries. Similar to FR2, each country will have to allocate a set of frequency ranges based on spectrum usage and allocation in the country.

Click here to see details on FR1 Frequency Bands and FR2 Frequency Bands.