Sources, licensing & updates
All sources
| Source | Type | Licence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTE frequency bands (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Derived from 3GPP TS 36.101; commercial reuse requires attribution, share-alike and noting changes |
| 5G NR frequency bands (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Derived from the 3GPP TS 38 series (Rel. 19) |
| GSM frequency bands (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Link family for the GSM band pages cited in the report; 14 bands defined in 3GPP TS 45.005 |
| List of LTE networks (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Country–operator deployment table; the page itself does not publish country/operator totals |
| List of 5G NR networks (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Country–operator 5G deployment table, distinguishing SA/NSA |
| Reusing Wikipedia content (Wikipedia policy) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | CC BY-SA 4.0 commercial terms: attribution, share-alike, note changes |
| 2G 3G Sunset: Shutdown dates and strategies (Onomondo) | shutdown-calendar | — | Updated quarterly; operators sometimes delay, sometimes with only 3 months' notice; page updated 2026-10-28 |
| 2G/3G Network Status Updates (ESEYE) | shutdown-calendar | — | Last updated 2026-07-17 (report §4.1) |
| About eSIM (Apple Support) | official-device-list | — | Opened this time (2026-11-08): only a general eSIM introduction, no model list; model guidance follows report §2.2 |
| Galaxy eSIM and supported network carriers (Samsung HK) | official-device-list | — | Updated 2026-09-22; lists only the newest models, older-model guidance follows report §2.2; varies by region — a model may not support eSIM depending on where it was bought |
| eSIM compatibility (Samsung AU) | official-device-list | — | Cited in report §2.2, updated 2026-09-21; not opened directly this time |
| Google Pixel Help — eSIM support URL not verified | official-device-list | — | The report gave no specific link; not opened and verified directly this time; model guidance follows report §2.2; URL left null — the official help page link still needs verifying |
| 5G Networks — Key Data (GSA) | industry | — | As of 2026-04-20: 392 operators have launched commercial 5G, 643 are investing; page marked 'Last Updated April 2026' |
| Airalo — official website | esim-provider | — | 200+ countries/regions; marketplace model; Partner API (B2B resale, not a free price-comparison API) |
| Holafly — official website | esim-provider | — | 200+ destinations; direct sales, unlimited plans |
| Nomad — official website | esim-provider | — | 200+ destinations; direct sales (LotusFlare) |
| Ubigi — official website | esim-provider | — | 200+ destinations; MVNO (Transatel, part of NTT); price page cellulardata.ubigi.com |
| GigSky — official website | esim-provider | — | Official site claims 200+ on one page and 190+ on another — coverage figures conflict |
| SimOptions — official website | esim-provider | — | 200+ countries/regions; marketplace model |
| Saily — official website | esim-provider | — | 200+ destinations; direct sales (Nord Security) |
| Airalo Affiliate Program (via Impact) affiliate page URL not given in report — kept null | affiliate-program | — | The report gave no specific affiliate-page link; the 10% standard commission is the official affiliate page's own wording (verified by a third party 2026-08-22 / 2026-09-30); the current terms and link still need confirming on the official site |
| Ubigi Affiliate Program (via Impact) | affiliate-program | — | The report gave no specific affiliate-page link; the 10% commission is the official affiliate page's own wording (opened and verified 2026-11-07); the current terms and link still need confirming on the official site |
| Saily Affiliate Program | affiliate-program | — | The report gave no specific affiliate-page link; the 15% per new user commission is the official affiliate page's own wording (opened and verified 2026-11-07); the current terms and link still need confirming on the official site |
| List of LTE networks in Asia (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Regional LTE deployment list for Asia. |
| List of LTE networks in Europe (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Regional LTE deployment list for Europe. |
| List of LTE networks in Africa (Wikipedia) | wikipedia | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Regional LTE deployment list for Africa. |
| Saily Affiliate Program | affiliate-program | — | Verified in the research report (2026-11-07): 15% per new user. |
| Ubigi Affiliate Program | affiliate-program | — | Verified in the research report (2026-11-07): 10%. |
Licensing
Wikipedia content — CC BY-SA 4.0. Band definitions and country–operator deployment tables on this site are adapted from Wikipedia pages (LTE frequency bands, 5G NR frequency bands, GSM frequency bands, List of LTE networks, List of 5G NR networks, and the regional LTE network lists for Asia, Europe and Africa). Wikipedia text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (and GFDL). That means: attribution — this page links to each source page; share-alike — adapted content on this site is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0; and changes are noted — the Wikipedia tables were restructured into per-country and per-band pages and merged with other sources, rather than republished verbatim. See Wikipedia: Reusing Wikipedia content.
3GPP specifications — facts only. 3GPP / ETSI specifications (TS 36.101, TS 38.101, TS 45.005) are used as the factual basis for band numbers and frequencies. No specification text is reproduced and no specification PDF is hosted here.
Other sources. Shutdown calendars (Onomondo, ESEYE), device lists (Apple, Samsung, Google official pages) and eSIM provider pages are linked, not copied. FrequencyCheck, GSMArena, Kimovil and cacombos were not used as data sources for this site.
Update schedule
| Data | When it is updated |
|---|---|
| Band definitions | Within 2 weeks after a new 3GPP release |
| Country deployments (LTE / 5G) | Quarterly |
| 2G / 3G shutdowns | Quarterly |
| Device (eSIM) lists | Every 6 months |
| Representative eSIM prices | Monthly, major destinations only |
Data checked 2026-11-08. "Checked" dates on individual pages are the dates the underlying data was last verified.
Coverage — what is and is not included
- Countries: 236 countries and regions in the index; 231 have operator data (LTE and/or 5G) and a country page. The rest are marked "Not yet covered" — no data has been invented for them.
- Operators: 973 operator records (673 LTE, 300 5G), 1608 LTE band records and 602 5G band records.
- Excluded entries: entries on the Wikipedia deployment pages whose band is marked
n?or?were not included — an unknown band cannot be listed as a fact. - 5G gaps: for 42 countries the 5G band is unknown in the source data, so those countries have no 5G record on this site. They may still have LTE data.
- Places without an ISO code: Saba, Sint Eustatius, Christmas Island, Norfolk Island, Abkhazia, Ascension Island, Crimea, Somaliland, Transnistria and the "Europe" Inmarsat aviation network appear in the deployment data with no ISO code. They are published under name-based addresses and listed separately in the country index; no ISO code has been invented for them.
- GSM duplex spacing: the spacing value in our GSM source data is derived, not taken from the source page, so it is not shown anywhere on this site.
Disclaimer
- A band listed for an operator does not mean nationwide coverage. Deployment lists record which bands an operator uses, not where the signal reaches.
- eSIM compatibility is subject to the phone maker's official guidance for your exact model and purchase region.
- eSIM prices are snapshots as of the check date shown; the price on the checkout page always prevails.
- BandGuide is not a carrier, not a travel agency and not affiliated with any operator or eSIM provider named here. Brand and operator names are used factually and do not imply endorsement.
Affiliate disclosure
This site contains links to eSIM providers' official websites. If you buy through a link, BandGuide may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That does not affect the order of providers or plans. Affiliate links are not yet connected: buttons on the eSIM comparison go to the provider's official site and are labelled "Official site — affiliate link pending". Commission figures are shown only where verified on the provider's own affiliate page (Airalo 10%, Ubigi 10%, Saily 15%). Where the official site publishes no rate or third-party figures conflict (Holafly, SimOptions), no commission figure is shown.