PTCRB scope and applicability
PTCRB · Pillar
PTCRB applies to cellular equipment intended for member operator networks in North America. Although it is a private operator program and not government regulation, it effectively constitutes a market access criterion, without PTCRB certification, equipment cannot be homologated to operate on the concerned networks.
Participating operators
Section titled “Participating operators”PTCRB is administered by CTIA Certification and relied on by the main North American cellular operators. The operators listed on ptcrb.com/about (16 in 2026) include:
| Operator | Country | Networks |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T | USA | LTE, 5G |
| FirstNet | USA | Public safety network built with AT&T (B14) |
| T-Mobile | USA | LTE, 5G (integrated Sprint after the 2020 merger) |
| Verizon | USA | LTE, 5G (also runs its own Open Development device certification) |
| Bell Mobility | Canada | LTE, 5G |
| Rogers Wireless | Canada | LTE, 5G |
| Telus Mobility | Canada | LTE, 5G |
| Starlink | USA | Direct-to-cell satellite service |
Alongside PTCRB, each large carrier runs its own acceptance program:
- Verizon Open Development: Verizon's own device certification, which accepts PTCRB or GCF as the conformance prerequisite
- AT&T Network Ready: AT&T's own program, built on the IoT Network Certified (INC) certification administered by CTIA Certification, with PTCRB/INC as prerequisite
- T-Mobile IoT device certification: via the DICE portal, with PTCRB compliance among the OEM prerequisites
For a product targeting multiple operators, expect PTCRB plus one carrier program per targeted network in most cases.
Concerned products
Section titled “Concerned products”Any equipment using 3GPP cellular technology on member operator networks:
Smartphones and phones
Section titled “Smartphones and phones”Consumer mobile phones are the historical PTCRB use case. All iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, etc. models sold in the US and Canada are PTCRB-certified.
Cellular modules
Section titled “Cellular modules”Industrial cellular modules (Quectel, u-blox, Sierra Wireless, Telit, Murata, etc.) are PTCRB-certified once, integrators then reuse this certification via a reduced device-level certification (IoT Network Certified for IoT devices).
Cellular IoT products
Section titled “Cellular IoT products”Any IoT product integrating a cellular module:
- GPS trackers and asset tracking
- Smart meters
- Medical telealarm devices
- Connected terminals (payment, vending, parking)
- M2M routers and industrial gateways
- Drones and autonomous vehicles with cellular link
- NB-IoT / Cat-M industrial sensors
- Automotive eCall
Routers and CPE
Section titled “Routers and CPE”Cellular CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) (4G/5G routers, repeaters, mobile hotspots) are PTCRB-certified.
Automotive equipment
Section titled “Automotive equipment”TCU (Telematics Control Unit) modules of connected vehicles are subject to PTCRB for cellular functions (eCall, connected infotainment, V2X).
Covered technologies
Section titled “Covered technologies”PTCRB covers the active 3GPP family:
| Generation | Status 2026 | Active test plans |
|---|---|---|
| 2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE | US networks retired (AT&T in 2017), CA phase-out | Legacy GSM test cases retired |
| 3G UMTS/HSPA | Sunset completed on AT&T (February 2022) and T-Mobile (July 2022) | Limited |
| 4G LTE | Main active | Complete test plans |
| 4G LTE Cat-M / Cat-M1 | Active IoT | Cat-M test plans |
| 4G NB-IoT | Active IoT | NB-IoT test plans |
| 5G NR NSA | Active | 5G NSA test plans |
| 5G NR SA | Active | 5G SA test plans |
| 5G mmWave | Active (US urban) | mmWave test plans |
2G/3G sunsets have impacted older IoT products: AT&T retired 2G in 2017 and 3G in February 2022, and the remaining North American 2G/3G networks are being phased out. Legacy GSM test cases have been retired from current PTCRB documents.
Frequency bands
Section titled “Frequency bands”PTCRB covers bands assigned in North America:
LTE bands
Section titled “LTE bands”| Band | Frequencies | Typical operators |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | 1850-1910 / 1930-1990 MHz | AT&T, T-Mobile |
| B4 | 1710-1755 / 2110-2155 MHz | T-Mobile, Rogers |
| B5 | 824-849 / 869-894 MHz | AT&T, Bell, Rogers |
| B7 | 2500-2570 / 2620-2690 MHz | Bell, Rogers, Telus |
| B12 | 699-716 / 729-746 MHz | AT&T |
| B13 | 777-787 / 746-756 MHz | Verizon |
| B14 | 788-798 / 758-768 MHz | FirstNet (AT&T) |
| B17 | 704-716 / 734-746 MHz | AT&T (alias B12) |
| B25 | 1850-1915 / 1930-1995 MHz | T-Mobile, Sprint legacy |
| B26 | 814-849 / 859-894 MHz | Sprint legacy, integrated T-Mobile |
| B30 | 2305-2315 / 2350-2360 MHz | AT&T |
| B41 | 2496-2690 MHz | T-Mobile (ex-Sprint) |
| B66 | 1710-1780 / 2110-2200 MHz | Multi-operator AWS-3 |
| B71 | 663-698 / 617-652 MHz | T-Mobile (600 MHz) |
5G bands
Section titled “5G bands”| NR Band | Frequencies | Typical operators |
|---|---|---|
| n2 | 1850-1910 / 1930-1990 MHz | AT&T, T-Mobile |
| n5 | 824-849 / 869-894 MHz | AT&T |
| n7 | 2500-2690 MHz | Bell, Rogers |
| n25 | 1850-1915 / 1930-1995 MHz | T-Mobile, Sprint legacy |
| n41 | 2496-2690 MHz | T-Mobile |
| n66 | 1710-1780 / 2110-2200 MHz | Multi-operator |
| n71 | 663-698 / 617-652 MHz | T-Mobile |
| n77 | 3300-4200 MHz | Multi-operator (broad) |
| n78 | 3300-3800 MHz | Multi-operator CBRS-related |
| n260 | 37-40 GHz mmWave | T-Mobile, Verizon |
| n261 | 27.5-28.35 GHz mmWave | AT&T, Verizon |
A complete cellular module supporting the main US + CA bands may cover up to 15-20 different bands, each requiring its own PTCRB tests.
Modules vs End-products
Section titled “Modules vs End-products”Cellular modules
Section titled “Cellular modules”Cellular modules are certified independently by their manufacturer. Once PTCRB-certified, they obtain an IMEI range the manufacturer can use for produced units.
Most used modules in 2026:
- Quectel: BG770A (Cat-M), BG95-M3 (Cat-M+NB-IoT+GNSS), RG50xQ (5G)
- u-blox: SARA-R5 (Cat-M), LARA-R6 (Cat-1), MAYA (Wi-Fi+BLE)
- Sierra Wireless: EM9191 (5G), HL7800 (Cat-M)
- Telit: LM960 (Cat-1bis), FN980 (5G)
- Murata: Type 1SC, Type 1WL
- Nordic Semiconductor: nRF9160 (Cat-M+NB-IoT)
End-products reusing a module
Section titled “End-products reusing a module”The integrator of a certified cellular module passes a reduced device-level certification: IoT Network Certified (INC) for IoT devices, a lighter PTCRB path for notebooks and tablets. It validates:
- Correct integration of the module (antennas, supply, thermal)
- OTA performance in the final configuration
- No degradation of cellular performance
- Final radio configurations of the product
Tests are reduced compared to complete module certification, a fraction of the cost and timing.
End-products with proprietary RF design
Section titled “End-products with proprietary RF design”If the integrator designs their own RF stage (instead of using a commercial module), they pass a complete PTCRB certification, equivalent to a module, with all 3GPP tests and assignment of their own IMEI range.
Exemptions and special cases
Section titled “Exemptions and special cases”R&D and test equipment
Section titled “R&D and test equipment”R&D equipment, test benches, and evaluation terminals do not require PTCRB certification if not commercially marketed. Once marketed (even to professionals), certification becomes necessary again.
Private professional equipment
Section titled “Private professional equipment”Strictly private equipment (not operated on member operator networks) is outside PTCRB scope. This includes for example:
- CBRS private networks (3.5 GHz, Part 96) operated by enterprises
- Private LTE networks on industrial or experimental frequencies
- Test terminals in R&D labs
Satellite-cellular equipment
Section titled “Satellite-cellular equipment”Satellite-to-cellular services are entering the program: Starlink (direct-to-cell) now appears among the operators listed on ptcrb.com. Requirements for this segment are still evolving in 2025-2026.
Mexico and Latin America market
Section titled “Mexico and Latin America market”Mexico mainly uses North American bands but has its own regulator (IFT). PTCRB is not formally required but widely used as a reference. Other Latin American countries have distinct national programs.
In summary
Section titled “In summary”PTCRB applies if:
- The product uses 3GPP cellular technology
- The product is intended to operate on participating operator networks (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Bell, Rogers, Telus mainly)
- The product is placed on the market in the US and/or Canada
For products with commercial cellular modules, this is generally a reduced device-level certification (IoT Network Certified for IoT devices), significantly reducing cost and timing.
For practical implementation, see PTCRB test plans and Procedure.
See also
Section titled “See also”- AT&T NAF cellular IoT certification: AT&T operator program for cellular modules and devices in scope of PTCRB.
- Verizon Open Development IoT certification: Verizon-specific scope and bands covered alongside PTCRB.
- T-Mobile IoT device certification: T-Mobile cellular IoT devices and certification program.
- NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SoftBank Japan operator acceptance: Japanese operator approvals for cellular products outside PTCRB scope.
Sources & references
- About PTCRB (program and participating operators) , PTCRB www.ptcrb.com/about/
- PTCRB PPMD and NAPRD03 (Get Certified) , PTCRB / CTIA www.ptcrb.com/get-certified/