PTCRB scope and applicability

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 13 min read

PTCRB scope is set by three documents, all dated October 2026: the Program Management Document PPMD V4.2 says which devices can be certified, NAPRD03 V6.26 lists the PTCRB bands, and PVG.11 V5.24.0 says which operator supports each band. PTCRB is an industry program administered by CTIA Certification, not a regulation: the PPMD calls the process "recommended" for manufacturers whose devices are expected to operate on the networks of the operators that use it. Since October 2025 the biggest scope question has a new answer: an IoT device built on a certified module is no longer a PTCRB device, it goes through IoT Network Certified. Everything below is as of October 7, 2026.

Participating operators

On October 7, 2026 the About page of ptcrb.com listed 17 participating operators: Ameren, AT&T, Bell, Eastlink, EchoStar, FirstNet, KORE, Rogers, Sateliot, Skylo, Southern Linc, Starlink, Telus, T-Mobile, Verizon, Viasat and Vidéotron.

Being on that list and backing a band in PVG.11 are two different things. PVG.11 V5.24.0 names the "supporting PTCRB operator(s)" for each band, and that is what decides which bands your target operators care about:

Operator	Single bands it supports in PVG.11 V5.24.0
AT&T	LTE 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29 (downlink only), 30, 66; NR n2, n5, n12, n14, n29, n30, n41, n48, n66, n77, n78; FR2 n260 (EN-DC)
T-Mobile (TMUS in PVG.11)	LTE 2, 4, 5, 12, 25, 66, 71, 85; NR n25, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77; FR2 n260, n261 (EN-DC)
EchoStar	LTE 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29, 30, 66; NR n2, n5, n12, n14, n26, n29, n30, n41, n48, n66, n70, n71, n77, n78; FR2 n260; NTN bands (NR and NB-IoT)
FirstNet	LTE 2, 4, 12, 14, 30, 66; NR n2, n5, n14, n66, n77; FR2 n260 (EN-DC)
Bell	LTE 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 42, 66; NR n5, n7, n13, n29, n38, n66, n71, n77, n78
Rogers	LTE 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 66, 71; NR n2, n12, n38, n41, n66, n71, n78
Telus	LTE 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 66; NR n66, n71, n78
Eastlink	LTE 7, 13, 66, 71; NR n7, n66, n71, n77, n78
Southern Linc	LTE 26, 48; NR n48 (and a pending n26 power class 2 entry)
Ameren	LTE 106
Skylo	NB-IoT NTN 252, 255, 256
Viasat	NB-IoT NTN 253, 255; NR NTN n252, n255, n256 (and n250, n251, n253 still in progress in 3GPP)
Sateliot	NB-IoT NTN 256 (non-geostationary)
Verizon	No single LTE or NR band; named only on a few EN-DC combinations (for example DC_13A_n2A and DC_66A_n2A)
KORE, Starlink, Vidéotron	Not named against any band in PVG.11 V5.24.0

The table reads the single-band tabs of PVG.11 (LTE, LTE SDL, NR SA, NR SA SDL, NR NTN, NB-IoT NTN, plus the FR2 rows of the EN-DC tab). Carrier aggregation and EN-DC combinations have their own supporting operators; NAPRD03 only requires the combinations on the target operators' priority lists, unless an operator asks for more.

PTCRB is not the only gate. The "Get Certified" page asks manufacturers to check whether the device needs additional operator-specific testing, and operators run their own programs on top. AT&T, for example, states on the IoT Network Certified site that getting AT&T Network Ready "means first getting IoT Network Certified". See the operator guides under "See also".

Which devices: the PPMD definitions

PPMD V4.2, Section 1.1, covers UTRA, E-UTRA, NTN and NR devices. Eligible devices are smartphones, feature phones, tablets, notebook computers, modules, IoT chipsets and devices incorporating certified chipsets. The definitions in Section 1.2 decide where a product lands:

PPMD term	Definition (summary)	Route
Smartphone, Feature Phone	As defined in GSMA TS.06	PTCRB
Module	Finished WWAN radio device that does not connect to a host through a standardised external interface (USB, PCMCIA, RS-232 and the like); uses PCIe, M.2 or surface mount (LGA, BGA, LCC), or an OEM custom interface	PTCRB
Chipset	Baseband, RF transceiver, RF front end and power management, not a finished product, intended for an LTE-M or NB-IoT module or an IoT device	PTCRB (Certified Chipset)
End Product	Finished product providing WWAN radio functionality, used as sold	PTCRB
Notebook, Tablet	Portable computer with WWAN through a module; a device that supports circuit-switched voice, VoLTE or VoNR does not qualify, nor does a chipset-based design	PTCRB (Parent, Child, Family rules in Section 11.11)
Embedded Modem	Component providing WWAN radio functionality, integrated into a host	IoT Network Certified
IoT Device	Device incorporating a PTCRB-certified module or embedded modem, except smartphones, feature phones, tablets and notebooks	IoT Network Certified
Public Safety Device	Supports mission-critical features, supports 3GPP Band 14 and holds an FCC grant under 47 CFR Part 90 Subpart R for public safety broadband	Device-type rules above still apply

Three consequences for product teams:

• Trackers, meters, gateways, routers and telematics units built on a certified module are IoT Devices, so they go to IoT Network Certified (PPMD 11.3.1.3). The PPMD definition of the Internet of Things explicitly includes vehicles, monitors and sensors with M2M communications.
• Certified Chipset results are only reusable for LTE-M and NB-IoT: in an LTE-M or NB-IoT module, or in an IoT device supporting LTE-M or NB-IoT. They cannot be leveraged for smartphones, feature phones, notebooks, tablets or LTE Cat-1 and higher IoT devices.
• An FR2 module cannot complete its own testing. RRM and RF testing for FR2 cannot be done at module level and must be performed in the end product certification.

A product whose RF design is not based on a certified module or chipset is certified as an Initial Certification of its own (see Procedure for request types and the official fees).

Covered technologies

Technology	Status on October 7, 2026	Basis
GSM / GERAN	Out of scope: GSM requirements removed in PPMD V4.0 (October 2025); GERAN and UTRA RSE removed in V4.1 (December 2025)	PPMD revision history
UTRA (3G)	In scope; Band II and Band V are PTCRB bands	NAPRD03 V6.26, Table 2.8-1
E-UTRA (LTE, including LTE-M and NB-IoT)	In scope, 17 E-UTRA bands	NAPRD03 V6.26, Table 2.8-1
NR FR1 (SA and NSA)	In scope; n29 downlink only, during EN-DC	NAPRD03 V6.26, Table 2.8-1
NR FR2	n260 and n261, as EN-DC configurations (NSA)	NAPRD03 V6.26, Table 2.8-1, note 1
RedCap	Defined in the PPMD by reference to 3GPP TS 38.306, since V3.13 (December 2024)	PPMD 1.2
NTN (satellite)	NB-IoT NTN bands 252, 253, 255, 256 and NR NTN bands n252, n255, n256	NAPRD03 V6.26, Table 2.8-1

Network retirements are a separate matter from PTCRB scope. T-Mobile states that it retired its 3G UMTS network on July 1, 2022 and set the retirement of its 2G GSM network for August 3, 2026. For other operators, check each operator's own announcements before relying on a legacy RAT.

Working on choosing a cellular technology for a long-duration IoT product for a real product? AESTECHNO can audit your design and certification plan. Get in touch

PTCRB bands (NAPRD03 V6.26)

NAPRD03 V6.26, Section 2.8, lists the PTCRB bands. PVG.11 is the normative source: in case of conflict, PVG.11 prevails. Bands listed by both PTCRB and GCF are PTCRB bands (NAPRD03 2.7). Frequencies below are the 3GPP band definitions (TS 36.101 for E-UTRA, TS 38.101-1 for NR FR1).

E-UTRA (LTE)

Band	Duplex	Uplink / downlink (MHz)	LTE-M (Cat-M1/M2)	NB-IoT (Cat-NB1/NB2)	Supporting operators (PVG.11)
2	FDD	1850-1910 / 1930-1990	Yes	Yes	AT&T, Bell, EchoStar, FirstNet, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
4	FDD	1710-1755 / 2110-2155	Yes	Yes	AT&T, Bell, EchoStar, FirstNet, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
5	FDD	824-849 / 869-894	Yes	Yes	AT&T, Bell, EchoStar, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
7	FDD	2500-2570 / 2620-2690	No	No	Bell, Eastlink, Rogers, Telus
12	FDD	699-716 / 729-746	Yes	Yes	AT&T, Bell, EchoStar, FirstNet, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
13	FDD	777-787 / 746-756	Yes	Yes	Bell, Eastlink, Telus
14	FDD	788-798 / 758-768	No	Yes	AT&T, EchoStar, FirstNet
25	FDD	1850-1915 / 1930-1995	No	Yes	T-Mobile
26	FDD	814-849 / 859-894	Yes	Yes	Southern Linc
29	SDL	downlink 717-728, carrier aggregation only			AT&T, EchoStar
30	FDD	2305-2315 / 2350-2360	No	No	AT&T, EchoStar, FirstNet
42	TDD	3400-3600	No	No	Bell
48	TDD	3550-3700	No	No	Southern Linc
66	FDD	1710-1780 / 2110-2200	Yes	Yes	AT&T, Bell, Eastlink, EchoStar, FirstNet, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
71	FDD	663-698 / 617-652	No	Yes	Eastlink, Rogers, T-Mobile
85	FDD	698-716 / 728-746	No	Yes	T-Mobile
106	FDD	896-901 / 935-940	Yes	Yes	Ameren

The LTE-M and NB-IoT columns copy PVG.11 Table 5 ("LTE device category standardization status by band"). A "No" means the category is not marked as standardised for that band in PVG.11, which matters when you pick bands for an LTE-M or NB-IoT product.

NR FR1 and FR2

Band	Duplex	Frequencies (MHz)	Supporting operators (PVG.11, all power classes)
n2	FDD	1850-1910 / 1930-1990	AT&T, EchoStar, FirstNet, Rogers
n5	FDD	824-849 / 869-894	AT&T, Bell, EchoStar, FirstNet
n7	FDD	2500-2570 / 2620-2690	Bell, Eastlink
n12	FDD	699-716 / 729-746	AT&T, EchoStar, Rogers
n13	FDD	777-787 / 746-756	Bell
n14	FDD	788-798 / 758-768	AT&T, EchoStar, FirstNet
n25	FDD	1850-1915 / 1930-1995	T-Mobile
n26	FDD	814-849 / 859-894	EchoStar (Southern Linc on the pending power class 2 entry)
n29	SDL	downlink 717-728, EN-DC only	AT&T, Bell, EchoStar
n30	FDD	2305-2315 / 2350-2360	AT&T, EchoStar
n38	TDD	2570-2620	Bell, Rogers
n41	TDD	2496-2690	AT&T, EchoStar, Rogers, T-Mobile
n48	TDD	3550-3700	AT&T, EchoStar, Southern Linc, T-Mobile
n66	FDD	1710-1780 / 2110-2200	AT&T, Bell, Eastlink, EchoStar, FirstNet, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
n70	FDD	1695-1710 / 1995-2020	EchoStar
n71	FDD	663-698 / 617-652	Bell, Eastlink, EchoStar, Rogers, Telus, T-Mobile
n77	TDD	3300-4200	AT&T, Bell, Eastlink, EchoStar, FirstNet, T-Mobile
n78	TDD	3300-3800	AT&T, Bell, Eastlink, EchoStar, Rogers, Telus
n260	TDD (FR2)	37000-40000	AT&T, EchoStar, FirstNet, T-Mobile (EN-DC rows)
n261	TDD (FR2)	27500-28350	T-Mobile (EN-DC rows)

Band 48 and n48 cover 3550-3700 MHz, the band of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service under 47 CFR Part 96. In PVG.11 they are PTCRB bands backed by named operators, so a CBRS-capable device is not outside PTCRB by nature.

Satellite (NTN)

Band	RAT	Orbit (PVG.11)	Supporting operators	Status in PVG.11
252	NB-IoT NTN	GSO	EchoStar, Skylo	Completed in 3GPP RAN5
253	NB-IoT NTN	GSO	Viasat	Completed
255	NB-IoT NTN	GSO	EchoStar, Skylo, Viasat	Completed
256	NB-IoT NTN	GSO and NGSO	EchoStar, Skylo (GSO); Sateliot (NGSO)	Completed
n252	NR NTN	NGSO	EchoStar, Viasat	Completed
n255	NR NTN	NGSO	Viasat	Completed
n256	NR NTN	NGSO	EchoStar, Viasat	Completed

PVG.11 also lists NR NTN bands n250, n251 and n253 for Viasat with an "Ongoing" 3GPP status; they are not in NAPRD03 Table 2.8-1. The PPMD defines LTE-M NTN and NB-IoT NTN, and Starlink appears on the participating operator list without any band in PVG.11 V5.24.0.

IMEI and prototypes

The scope questions about prototypes and R&D units have answers in the PPMD IMEI rules, not in an "exemption" clause:

Situation	Rule	PPMD
Pre-production and prototype testing	Test IMEI, issued in blocks of 1,000 under the manufacturer test TAC; could be blacklisted after testing; cannot be used for final certification	8.1, 8.3.2
Software under development	SV 00 is reserved for non-approved software versions	8.3.2
Diagnostic devices	A non-commercial IMEI can be issued, with NNN in the 900 range	8.3.2
Production devices	Production IMEI issued per TAC, which limits production to 1,000,000 units; a TAC request is reserved for 120 days	8.1, 8.6
Certified device	Its IMEI goes on the Certified list of the North American CEIR; service is not denied for equipment type	8.2.5, 8.4
UEs issued an IMEI before June 1, 1997	"Uncertified List"; operators may deny service	8.2.6, 8.2.7

The TAC is requested through the PTCRB certification database, with CTIA Certification as IMEI Administrator, and is revoked if the device is not certified within 120 days; it is not something a module "obtains" once certified.

Outside PTCRB

• Non-3GPP radios. Wi-Fi, BLE and other radios not defined by 3GPP are not PTCRB technologies. NAPRD03 does require cellular desensitization testing for notebooks and tablets that can run cellular and 802.11 at the same time, and the PPMD has a Wi-Fi Converged Device Testing fee option, but a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module is not a PTCRB module.
• Non-PTCRB public safety applications. The PPMD defines them as public safety applications not based on open standards or based on standards outside PTCRB scope, such as Land Mobile Radio.
• Regulatory approval. PTCRB does not replace FCC or ISED approval: the request asks for the FCC ID (US) or ISED ID (Canada), and the manufacturer must hold the approvals of each target country (PPMD 11.3.1.3 and 11.3.1.8).
• Mexico. No PTCRB document covers Mexico and no Mexican operator is a participating operator. The Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law published in the DOF on July 16, 2025 created the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT); since October 17, 2025 the CRT has replaced the IFT. See NOM and homologation in Mexico.

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim (including on earlier versions of this page)	What the documents say
"Without PTCRB certification, equipment cannot be homologated"	PTCRB is not a homologation. PPMD 1.1 calls the process "recommended"; any obligation comes from each operator, and homologation is the job of the FCC, ISED or the national regulator
"16 operators are listed on ptcrb.com"	17 participating operators were listed on October 7, 2026
"An integrator of a certified module passes a reduced PTCRB device certification"	Since PPMD V4.0 (October 2025), IoT devices with a module or embedded modem go to IoT Network Certified; only notebooks and tablets with a module stay in PTCRB
"Modules obtain an IMEI range once PTCRB-certified"	The production TAC is requested before certification and reserved for 120 days; one TAC covers 1,000,000 units (PPMD 8.1 and 8.6)
"Legacy GSM test cases retired" and AT&T 2G and 3G shutdown dates	The PTCRB fact is that GSM requirements left the PPMD in V4.0 (October 2025). The earlier page gave AT&T shutdown dates with no source; they have been removed
"Band 17 is a PTCRB band (alias B12)"	Band 17 is not in NAPRD03 V6.26 Table 2.8-1 or in PVG.11 Table 5. Band 12 is listed
"Band 41 is a PTCRB LTE band"	E-UTRA Band 41 is not listed; n41 is a PTCRB NR band
"Band 13 is Verizon"	PVG.11 V5.24.0 lists Bell, Eastlink and Telus as supporting operators for Band 13; Verizon is not named on any single band
"n78 is CBRS-related"	CBRS is 3550-3700 MHz (47 CFR Part 96), which is Band 48 / n48. n78 is 3300-3800 MHz
"n7 is 2500-2690 MHz"	n7 is an FDD band: 2500-2570 MHz uplink, 2620-2690 MHz downlink (3GPP TS 38.101-1)
"R&D and test equipment is exempt"	The PPMD has no exemption clause. It gives prototypes test IMEIs that cannot be used for certification, and diagnostic devices non-commercial IMEIs
"CBRS private networks and private LTE are outside PTCRB"	PTCRB scope follows the networks of the participating operators; the PTCRB documents say nothing about private networks. Band 48 and n48 are PTCRB bands
"Mexico's regulator is the IFT"	The IFT was replaced by the CRT on October 17, 2025
"Automotive eCall is a PTCRB product category"	eCall is the EU in-vehicle emergency call system under Regulation (EU) 2015/758. PTCRB has no eCall category; a telematics unit built on a certified module is an IoT Device

Lists of "most used modules", the count of 15 to 20 bands per module and the claim that every phone of a given brand is PTCRB-certified have been removed: no PTCRB document supports them. Check a given model in the PTCRB certified device database instead.

In summary

PTCRB is relevant when:

1. The product uses UTRA, E-UTRA (including LTE-M and NB-IoT), NR or NTN, on PTCRB bands
2. It is expected to operate on the networks of operators that use PTCRB, and those operators require it
3. It is a smartphone, feature phone, tablet, notebook, module, IoT chipset or end product with its own radio design; IoT devices built on a certified module or embedded modem go through IoT Network Certified

For test plans and the request steps, see PTCRB test plans and Procedure. The overview gives the official CTIA Certification fees and the FAQ the common questions.

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.
• PTCRB and GCF compared: the two schemes side by side.
• ISED Canada radio certification: the Canadian regulatory approval the PTCRB request refers to.

Sources & references

1. About PTCRB (history and participating operators), CTIA Certification www.ptcrb.com/about/
2. PTCRB, Get Certified (process and requirements documents), PTCRB / CTIA www.ptcrb.com/get-certified/
3. PTCRB Program Management Document (PPMD) V4.2, October 2026, CTIA Certification www.ptcrb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PTCRB-PPMD-V4.2.pdf
4. PTCRB NAPRD03 V6.26, October 2026, CTIA Certification www.ptcrb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/NAPRD03-V6.26.pdf
5. PVG.11 V5.24.0, PTCRB bands and supporting operators (XLSX), CTIA Certification www.ptcrb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PVG-11-V-5.24.0.xlsx
6. IoT Network Certified, CTIA Certification iotnetworkcertified.com/
7. 3GPP TS 36.101, E-UTRA UE radio transmission and reception (band definitions), 3GPP portal.3gpp.org/desktopmodules/Specifications/SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=2411
8. 3GPP TS 38.101-1, NR UE radio transmission and reception, FR1 (band definitions), 3GPP portal.3gpp.org/desktopmodules/Specifications/SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3201
9. T-Mobile network evolution (key dates), T-Mobile www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/t-mobile-network-evolution
10. eCFR, 47 CFR Part 96, Citizens Broadband Radio Service, US Government (eCFR) www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-96
11. Regulation (EU) 2015/758 on eCall type-approval requirements, Official Journal of the European Union eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2015/758/oj
12. Ley en materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión, DOF July 16, 2025, Diario Oficial de la Federación (Mexico) dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5763167&fecha=16/07/2025