Global Cellular Connectivity for IoT Mobility Devices

Smart mobility devices like electric scooters and bikes rely on cellular IoT modules to stay connected. However, cellular network availability and frequency bands vary by country, which affects whether a device built for one region will work in another. In general, most of Europe/Asia/Africa use GSM 900/1800 MHz for 2G, whereas North and South America use GSM 850/1900 MHz . Similar splits exist in 3G and 4G LTE bands – a phone or IoT device that works in one region might not support the bands of another region . High-end “world” devices often include multi-band radios covering both sets (e.g. some iPhones and global Android models), but budget IoT hardware may be region-specific 

 

Another consideration is network longevity: many countries are shutting down 2G and 3G networks in the next few years to free spectrum for 4G/5G . For example, the USA has already discontinued most 3G by 2022 and some carriers ended 2G earlier; Europe plans to retire 3G by ~2025 while keeping 2G a bit longer for IoT, and Australia has fully turned off 2G . Meanwhile, Africa still heavily relies on 2G with no shutdown plans yet . This means an IoT device that only supports 2G might stop working in countries where 2G is sunset, and one that needs 3G fallback could fail where 3G is phased out. Ensuring 4G LTE (or newer) support with the correct bands is increasingly vital for future-proofing IoT deployments.

 

Below, we provide a country-by-country breakdown of cellular network types and frequency bands. This includes the 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, and 5G bands used in each country. We then present a summary chart grouping countries with similar network profiles to help mobility operators plan hardware that can roam across multiple countries.

 

(Note: “GSM” refers to 2G networks; “UMTS” or “WCDMA” refers to 3G; LTE bands are given by their Band number with approximate frequency in MHz. 5G NR bands are similarly noted. Keep in mind that within a country, different carriers may use different subsets of these bands. The information is based on current deployments and may evolve as networks refarm spectrum or launch new bands.)

 

Cellular Network Bands by Country

 

North America (USA & Canada)

 

United States:

• 2G: GSM 850 / 1900 MHz (though 2G GSM is largely retired by carriers)

• 3G: UMTS 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 MHz (3G shut down by all major operators in 2022 )

• 4G/LTE: Bands 12/13/17 (700 MHz), 5 (850 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz), 4/66 (1700 AWS), 30 (2300 MHz WCS). (U.S. carriers also used some regional bands like 25 (1900+), but generally an IoT device needs to cover the low-band 700 MHz and AWS/PCS bands common in the US.)

• 5G: Bands n71 (600 MHz low-band), n41 (2500 MHz mid-band), and mmWave bands (e.g. n260 around 39 GHz) deployed by certain carriers . (U.S. 5G uses a mix of low, mid, and high frequencies – an IoT tracker might not need mmWave, but it should support mid-band 5G or LTE for longevity.)

 

Canada:

• 2G: GSM 850 / 1900 MHz (Rogers and partners ran GSM; 2G is being phased out).

• 3G: UMTS 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 MHz (3G offered by Bell/Telus on 850/1900, Rogers on 850/1900, and AWS by Wind; shutdown in progress similar to US timelines).

• 4G/LTE: Bands 4/66 (1700 AWS), 7 (2600 MHz), 2 (1900 MHz PCS), 5 (850 MHz), and 12/17 (700 MHz) are widely used. Band 13 (700 MHz) and Band 20 (800 MHz) have limited use (e.g., regional providers). New band 42 (3500 MHz) is being introduced for 5G but some LTE as well . (In practice, a module supporting LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 66 covers the major Canadian LTE networks.)

• 5G:  Mainly mid-band around 3500 MHz (n78) launched in 2022–23. Some 5G DSS on existing LTE bands (e.g. n66 at 2100 MHz) and future use of 600 MHz (n71) is planned. mmWave 5G is not yet widely deployed in Canada, so IoT devices can rely on sub-6 GHz 5G for now.

 

(Note: Mexico and most of the Caribbean/Central America use a mix of North American frequencies. For example, Mexico uses GSM 1900 and UMTS 850 MHz , with LTE mainly on AWS Band 4 (1700/2100 MHz) . Caribbean islands often have GSM 850/900/1800 (depending on the operator’s origin) and LTE on 700 MHz (Band 28) or AWS. It’s important to verify the local bands for each network operator when deploying in Central/Latin America.)

 

Latin America (South America)

 

Most South American countries follow the “Americas” band plan (850/1900 MHz for legacy networks), with some additions: many have adopted LTE Band 28 (700 MHz) after analog TV was cleared, to improve coverage . Also, Band 4 (1700/2100 AWS) and Band 7 (2600 MHz) are common for 4G. We highlight a few major countries below:

 

Brazil:

• 2G: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz (all four GSM bands present across different carriers) . (Brazil’s operators historically used a mix – devices need to be quad-band GSM for 2G here.)

• 3G: UMTS 850 / 2100 MHz . (Operators use either 850 MHz or 2100 MHz for 3G; both are common.)

• 4G/LTE: Band 28 (700 MHz) for wide coverage, Band 3 (1800 MHz) and Band 1 (2100 MHz) for capacity, Band 7/38 (2600 MHz FDD/TDD) for high capacity . (Brazil’s LTE networks are multi-band; IoT modules for Brazil should support at least B3, B7, B28.)

• 5G: Launched 2022 in mid-band 3.5 GHz (n78). Brazil’s 5G also repurposes Band 7 (2.6 GHz) for 5G NR in DSS mode and is auctioning mmWave, but for IoT, sub-6 GHz is the focus.

 

Argentina:

• 2G: GSM 850 / 1900 MHz (legacy GSM networks in these bands).

• 3G: UMTS 850 / 1900 MHz (Claro/Telecom use 850, Movistar uses 850/1900).

• 4G/LTE: Band 4 (1700/AWS) and Band 28 (700 MHz) are primary. Band 7 (2600 MHz) also deployed in urban areas.

• 5G: No nationwide 5G yet (trials on mid-band). Devices should target 4G bands for now.

 

Chile:

• 2G: GSM 850 / 1900 MHz.

• 3G: UMTS 850 / 1900 MHz (Entel, Movistar, Claro all use 850,1900 for 3G).

• 4G/LTE: Band 28 (700 MHz) for coverage, Band 4 (1700 AWS) main, and Band 7 (2600 MHz) in cities.

• 5G: Active 5G on n78 (3.5 GHz) as of 2022–2023. Also refarming some 4G bands for 5G NSA. (IoT devices should at least support LTE B28 and B4 for Chile.)

 

Colombia:

• 2G: GSM 850 / 1900 MHz.

• 3G: UMTS 850 / 1900 MHz.

• 4G/LTE: Band 4 (AWS) is the primary 4G band; also Band 7 (2600) and Band 28 (700 MHz) in use.

• 5G: Early stages (trials). 4G remains key for IoT.

 

Other Latin America: Most other countries in Latin America (e.g. Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Central America) use GSM 850/1900 and UMTS 850/1900. LTE bands 4 (1700/AWS) and 28 (700) are extremely common region-wide . Band 2 (1900 FDD LTE) is also used in some markets, and Band 7 (2600) in urban hotspots. 5G is being introduced on 3.3–3.6 GHz (n78) in a few countries (e.g. Colombia, Brazil, Chile) but is not yet widespread. For a multi-country Latin American deployment, an IoT device should at minimum support LTE B4, B7, B28, B2 and 3G 850/1900 MHz, or use a global LTE-M/NB-IoT module that covers these frequencies.

 

Europe

 

European countries have highly harmonized cellular bands thanks to regional standardization . Almost every country in Europe uses:

• 2G: GSM 900 MHz and 1800 MHz . (2G is still operational in many European countries in 2025 for IoT and fallback, even as 3G is being turned off.)

• 3G: UMTS 2100 MHz (Band 1) as the primary 3G band; many also deployed UMTS 900 MHz (Band 8) to extend 3G coverage. (By end of 2025, most European operators will have shut down 3G , but historically these were the bands.)

• 4G/LTE: Bands 20 (800 MHz, “digital dividend”), 3 (1800 MHz), and 7 (2600 MHz) are the core LTE bands across Europe . Additionally Band 1 (2100 MHz) and Band 8 (900 MHz) are used in some networks for LTE; a few markets use Band 38 (2600 TDD) or Band 40 (2300 MHz) for capacity. Recently, Band 28 (700 MHz) is being allocated for LTE/5G in many countries (second digital dividend). For example, France uses LTE 700, 800, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz ; the UK uses LTE 800, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600 MHz .

• 5G: Nearly all European 5G networks use 3400–3800 MHz mid-band (n78) for primary 5G coverage . A few carriers also refarm LTE bands for 5G (e.g. n1 (2100) or n3 (1800) in DSS mode) . Low-band 700 MHz (n28) is being deployed in some countries for wide 5G coverage (especially where Band 28 was freed from TV) . Millimeter-wave 5G (e.g. 26 GHz n258) is only in trial or limited use in Europe.

 

Examples:

• Germany: 2G (GSM 900/1800); 3G (UMTS 2100, shutdown in 2021); 4G (LTE 800, 1800, 2600 MHz; also some 2100 refarmed); 5G (3500 MHz n78, plus DSS on 2100/1800).

• UK: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100, shutting by 2024); 4G (800/B20, 1800/B3, 2100/B1, 2300/B40, 2600 MHz FDD/TDD B7/B38) ; 5G (3400-3600 MHz n78, plus 700 MHz in future) .

• France: 2G (900/1800); 3G (900/2100); 4G (700/B28, 800/B20, 1800/B3, 2100/B1, 2600/B7) ; 5G (2100/B1 DSS, 3500 MHz n78 as primary) .

• Russia: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100, some 900); 4G (800, 1800, 2600 FDD; plus 2300 and 450 MHz in limited use); 5G (not widespread yet, trials on 4.8 GHz and 24 GHz).

 

(Virtually all other European countries – from Spain to Poland to Sweden – use the same core bands as above. An IoT device that supports GSM 900/1800, WCDMA 2100, and LTE Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 will work in most of Europe . For 5G, adding support for n78 will cover the new networks. Ensure the device can fall back to 2G or LTE, since 3G is disappearing in Europe.)

 

Middle East & North Africa (MENA)

 

The MENA region’s networks mostly align with European standards:

• 2G: GSM 900/1800 MHz is universal across the Middle East and North Africa. (Some operators in very remote areas used satellite or legacy CDMA, but GSM has been standard.)

• 3G: UMTS 2100 MHz (Band 1) widely, often with UMTS 900 MHz (Band 8) to extend coverage. (Several Middle Eastern countries plan to keep 2G longer but shut 3G by mid-2020s .)

• 4G/LTE: Common bands include 3 (1800 MHz) as the primary LTE band in many Gulf countries, plus Band 20 (800 MHz) in places that refarmed spectrum from TV, and Band 1 (2100) or 7 (2600) for capacity. A few networks use Band 8 (900) or Band 28 (700 MHz) if available.

• 5G: Many Gulf states were early 5G adopters on 3500 MHz (n78). Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, etc., all have mid-band 5G. A few also use 2600 MHz (n41) or DSS on LTE bands. mmWave 5G (e.g., 26 GHz) has been tested in UAE/Qatar but not for wide IoT use yet.

 

Examples:

• UAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi): 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100; being phased out ~2024); 4G (1800/B3, 2600/B7); 5G (3500 MHz n78, plus some 2600 n41).

• Saudi Arabia: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100; to be shut by ~2025); 4G (Bands 3, 20, 28 – including 1800 and 800, and new 700 MHz for coverage); 5G (n78 mid-band, some  Kuwait and others share similar profiles).

• Egypt: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100); 4G (1800/B3 and 700/B28 just launched, plus 2100 refarm); 5G (not yet, spectrum planned).

• Morocco: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100); 4G (1800/B3, 2600/B7); 5G (not yet).

 

(In general, MENA IoT devices can treat the region like Europe in terms of required bands: GSM 900/1800, UMTS 2100, LTE 1800/2600 are key, and LTE 800/700 in markets where those are deployed. 5G n78 support will cover the emerging networks.)

 

Sub-Saharan Africa

 

Africa’s mobile networks also grew from the GSM 900/1800 foundation and use many European-aligned bands, though 4G rollout is still patchy in some countries. Key points:

• 2G: GSM 900 MHz dominates rural coverage across Africa, with 1800 MHz in cities. Almost every African nation has 2G 900/1800 (and 2G is likely to remain longer here for basic services ).

• 3G: UMTS 2100 MHz on urban sites, often supplemented by UMTS 900 in rural areas (using former 2G spectrum to extend 3G). Some countries like South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria have started turning down 3G on a slow timeline (while keeping 2G for now) .

• 4G/LTE: Band 3 (1800 MHz) is the most widely used LTE band in Africa – many carriers refarmed 1800 for 4G because devices support it. Band 20 (800 MHz) is also important in countries that had digital TV migration (e.g. South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria have some 800 MHz LTE deployments for coverage). Band 7 (2600 MHz) appears in urban hotspots (e.g. in South Africa, Nigeria). A few operators use Band 8 (900 MHz) LTE or Band 38 (TDD 2600) where they have licenses.

• 5G: Only a handful of African markets have launched 5G (e.g. South Africa and Nigeria in mid-band n78 around 3500 MHz). Others are running trials or plan to use 5G for fixed wireless. For now, 4G (and even 3G) remains the IoT workhorse in Africa.

 

Examples:

• South Africa: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100, with some 900); 4G (1800/B3 widely, 2100/B1 refarmed, 2300/B40 by one operator, 2600/B7 in cities); 5G (3500 MHz n78 by Vodacom/MTN, plus 28 GHz trials).

• Kenya: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100 + some 900); 4G (800/B20 and 1800/B3 for Safaricom, plus 700 MHz B28 in process); 5G (pilot on n78).

• Nigeria: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100); 4G (1800/B3 main, also 2600/B7 and 700/B28 in use); 5G (n78 launched 2022 in limited areas).

• Ethiopia: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100); 4G (1800 MHz only in few cities); 5G (pilot by Ethio Telecom on n78).

 

(For Africa, an IoT device should be GSM quad-band (to include 900/1800) and support UMTS 2100. For LTE, Band 3 (1800) is essential, and Band 20 (800) highly recommended for wide-area coverage where available. Band 7 (2600) can improve urban connectivity. 5G is not yet critical for IoT in Africa, but where needed, n78 mid-band covers initial 5G rollouts.)

 

Asia-Pacific

 

The Asia-Pacific region is diverse, but many countries align either with European bands or a mix of European and unique bands. We break it down further:

 

East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan):

• China: 2G (GSM 900/1800 via China Mobile/Unicom; China Mobile’s legacy TD-SCDMA 3G and China Telecom’s CDMA2000 2G/3G are proprietary, so global IoT devices usually rely on GSM/GPRS and LTE in China). 3G (WCDMA 2100 for China Unicom). 4G/LTE: China Mobile uses LTE Band 41 (2500 MHz TDD) extensively and Band 39 (1900 TDD), Band 40 (2300 TDD), plus some FDD Band 3 (1800) and Band 8 (900). China Unicom and Telecom use FDD Bands 1 (2100) and 3 (1800), plus TDD 40/41. 5G: Very widespread mid-band around 3500 MHz (n78/n79) and some low-band (700 MHz n28 for China Mobile/Radio TV) and high-band trials. IoT devices for China should support LTE bands 1, 3 (for Unicom/Telecom) and 41 (for Mobile’s broad coverage) at minimum.

• Japan: (No GSM 2G – Japan’s 2G was proprietary PDC and is long shut.) 3G: UMTS 2100 MHz (Band 1) and 800 MHz (Band 6/19) by NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank (being retired by 2024). 4G: Bands 1 (2100) and 3 (1800) are common, plus band 19 (800 MHz) for coverage, band 28 (700) newly, and band 41 (TD 2500) for capacity. Also, band 18 (850) for KDDI. 5G: mid-band n78 (3.7 GHz) and n79 (4.5 GHz) for wide coverage; mmWave n257 (28 GHz) in dense urban spots. An IoT device in Japan needs at least LTE Band 1, 19, 28 support – or use LTE-M which carriers offer on those bands.

• South Korea: (No GSM 2G – used CDMA networks, all retired.) 3G: UMTS 2100 (Band 1) on some networks, though Korea is shutting 3G quickly. 4G: Band 3 (1800) is the primary LTE band (SKT), Band 8 (900) for LGU+, Band 5 (850) for KT – in practice multi-band devices cover 3,5,8. Also Band 1 (2100) and Band 7 (2600) in use. 5G: nationwide on mid-band n78 (3.5 GHz); plus mmWave n257 (28 GHz) deployed in hotspots. For IoT, LTE bands 3, 5, 8 cover the Korean carriers.

• Taiwan: 2G (900/1800, shut down in 2017); 3G (2100, shut in 2018); now 4G only. 4G: Bands 3 (1800) and 8 (900) were main; also 1800 extended (Band 28A), Band 7 (2600) for capacity. 5G: active on n78 (3500 MHz). Use LTE bands 3, 7, 8, 28 for Taiwan.

 

South Asia (India, etc.):

• India: 2G (900/1800 MHz still widely used for GSM/GPRS – important for IoT SMS/backup). 3G: UMTS 2100 MHz (being shut down by 2025), some 900. 4G: India’s 4G runs on Band 3 (1800 MHz) and Band 40 (2300 MHz) for most operators, plus Band 5 (850 MHz) for coverage and Band 41 (2500 TDD) in some areas . Recently, Band 8 (900) and Band 28 (700) were auctioned and are being deployed by Reliance Jio for more coverage. 5G: launched in 2022, primarily on n78 (3300 MHz) and a unique n258 (26 GHz mmWave) for high capacity; also planning to use refarmed 1800/2100 (n3/n1) for coverage. IoT devices in India should support LTE B3, B5, B40 as core bands, and B8/B28 if targeting newer networks. 2G fallback on 900/1800 is useful in rural areas until 2G shutdown (planned around 2025-2030) .

• Pakistan/Bangladesh/Sri Lanka: 2G (900/1800 prevalent), 3G (2100), 4G (1800/B3 is primary in many networks; also 2100/B1 and 850/B5 in some areas). 5G trials in mid-band.

• Southeast Asia (ASEAN):

  • Indonesia: 2G (900/1800, still on); 3G (2100, being shut by 2023-2024); 4G (1800/B3 is nationwide, 2100/B1 and 2300/B40 for capacity, plus some 850/B5). 5G just starting on 2300 MHz (Telkomsel n40) and 3500 MHz trials.

  • Thailand: 2G (900/1800, shut in 2021); 3G (850/2100, shutting down); 4G (1800/B3, 2100/B1, 2300 B40, plus 2600 B7 from new licenses); 5G (2600 MHz n41 main, plus 26 GHz mmWave n258 in Bangkok).

  • Malaysia: 2G (900/1800, still active); 3G (2100, shut in 2022); 4G (1800/B3, 2600/B7, 850/B5, 900/B8 – a mix used by different telcos); 5G (700 MHz n28 and 3500 MHz n78 under single wholesale network).

  • Vietnam: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100); 4G (1800/B3, 2100/B1, 2600/B7); 5G trials (n78).

  • Philippines: 2G (900/1800); 3G (2100); 4G (700/B28, 1800/B3, 2100/B1, 2600/B7); 5G (3500 MHz n78 in cities).

  • Australia & New Zealand (Oceania): These follow Western band plans. Australia – 2G (GSM 900/1800 retired in 2018 ); 3G (850/900 MHz, to be shut by 2024-25); 4G (Bands 28(700), 3(1800), 7(2600), 1(2100), 5(850)); 5G (n78 3500 MHz, plus n5(850) and some mmWave n258 26 GHz for fixed wireless). New Zealand – 2G (900/1800, shutdown 2025); 3G (850/900, shutting); 4G (700/28, 1800/3, 2600/7); 5G (n78).

 

(Overall, Asian IoT deployments require a broad band support. A “Asia-Pacific” device configuration often must handle GSM 900/1800 and WCDMA 2100, plus LTE bands 3, 5, 8, 40, 41, 28 depending on target countries. Japan/Korea are exceptions with no 2G, so devices there need 3G/4G multi-band support. Using LTE-M/NB-IoT is a good strategy in Asia, as those networks are available in bands like 8, 20, 28 in many countries for low-power IoT.)

 

Multi-Country Compatibility Grouping

 

To simplify hardware planning, countries can be grouped by similar network profiles. Below is a chart of common profiles and the countries/regions they cover, which can guide you in choosing a cellular module that will work across all countries in the group:

Network Profile (Bands)	Countries / Regions
“GSM 900/1800 + LTE bands 1/3/7/8/20” (Europe/Asia/Africa Standard): Supports 2G on 900/1800 MHz, 3G on 2100/900, and LTE Bands 1 (2100), 3 (1800), 7 (2600), 8 (900), 20 (800).	Virtually all of Europe, most of Asia (incl. China, India, SE Asia), and all of Africa. Middle East and Oceania also fall in this profile.  IoT Tip: A device with these bands (and possibly Band 28 for 700 MHz) will have wide coverage in EMEA/APAC regions .
“GSM 850/1900 + LTE bands 2/4/5/12/13/17” (Americas Standard): Supports 2G on 850/1900, 3G on 850/1900 (and AWS 1700), LTE Bands 2 (1900), 4/66 (1700 AWS), 5 (850), 12/17 (700).	North America (USA, Canada) and most of Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, etc.) . Many Caribbean nations also use this set.  IoT Tip: Devices designed for U.S./Canada will typically work throughout Latin America if they support AWS, 850, 1900, and 700 MHz LTE. Conversely, a Europe-only device lacking 850/1900 will not work in the U.S. . Make sure to include quad-band GSM for legacy 2G in Americas.
“No 2G – 3G/4G only” (Advanced APAC): Countries with no GSM networks; requires 3G or 4G support. Key bands: 3G on 2100/850, LTE on regional bands.	Japan, South Korea (no GSM at all). Also some carriers in USA (Verizon) and China (China Telecom) historically had no GSM, but they use LTE now.  IoT Tip: Devices for Japan/Korea must support local LTE bands (Japan: B1, B19, B28; Korea: B3, B5, B8) and cannot rely on 2G fallback. Ensure 4G coverage or Cat-M1 networks for these markets.
“Global/Quad-Band World Device”: A device integrating all of the above bands (both GSM sets and a broad range of LTE bands).	High-end smartphones and some IoT modules fall here. This isn’t a region per se, but indicates hardware that can roam virtually anywhere .  IoT Tip: If budget allows, choosing a module that supports both European and American LTE bands plus global 3G/2G will maximize compatibility, covering all the groups above.

In summary, planning for global IoT connectivity means covering the GSM bands of both ITU regions, the common 3G bands, and a wide spread of LTE bands. If a single hardware SKU can’t economically cover everything, it may be wise to have two versions: one for EMEA/Asia-Pacific and another for Americas, given the split in frequency profiles. Always verify current network statuses – especially 2G/3G availability and new 5G band launches – before deployment, as the cellular landscape continues to evolve rapidly . With the information above, mobility operators can map out where their devices will work and adjust their connectivity modules or SIM profiles accordingly to ensure seamless coverage worldwide.