Force LTE guide

How to read mobile network information

Signal values can look technical, but most of them answer one simple question: how strong and how clean is the radio link between your phone and the serving cell.

Main signal values

dBmSignal power. Cellular values are usually negative. The closer the number is to 0, the stronger the signal. For example, -70 dBm is stronger than -95 dBm.

ASUAndroid's technology-specific signal unit. Higher is usually better, but the scale depends on GSM, WCDMA, LTE or 5G NR.

LevelAndroid's simplified 0-4 quality level. It is useful for a quick view, but dBm/RSRP/SINR show more detail.

Quick reading

Strong

High dBm/RSRP and positive SINR. Speed and stability should usually be good.

Usable

The phone can stay connected, but performance may change with movement, indoor walls or network load.

Weak

Calls, data and handovers can be unstable. The app may also show unknown values when Android or the modem does not report them.

LTE and 5G values

Value Meaning How to read it
RSRP Reference signal received power. Main coverage indicator for LTE and 5G. Less negative is better.
RSRQ Reference signal received quality. Shows quality/load. Less negative is usually better.
SINR Signal to interference plus noise ratio. Higher is better. Positive values usually mean a cleaner signal.
CQI Channel quality indicator. Higher values allow the network to use faster modulation when conditions permit.
PCI Physical cell identity. Identifies a radio cell locally. It is not the same as a tower address.
EARFCN / NRARFCN LTE or 5G radio channel number. Used to calculate the band, for example LTE Band 3 or 5G n78.

Typical signal ranges

Technology Good Fair Weak
LTE RSRP -80 dBm or better -81 to -100 dBm -101 dBm or lower
5G NR SS-RSRP -80 dBm or better -81 to -105 dBm -106 dBm or lower
WCDMA/GSM RSSI -75 dBm or better -76 to -95 dBm -96 dBm or lower
SINR 20 dB or better 5 to 19 dB Below 5 dB

Treat these ranges as a practical guide, not a strict rule. Real speed depends on bandwidth, carrier aggregation, cell load, device modem, carrier policy and indoor conditions.

Network status

  • Registered means the phone is attached to the network and can use that serving cell.
  • Neighbor or nearby cells are detected cells that may be used for reselection or handover.
  • Roaming means the phone is using a visited network instead of the home network.
  • Unknown usually means Android, the modem or the carrier did not expose that value.

Why 5G can look like 4G

Many 5G networks use NSA mode. In NSA, LTE is still the anchor connection and 5G NR can be added as a secondary radio layer. Because of that, Android may report LTE as the base network while the display status can still show 5G.

LTE anchor NR secondary cell Carrier policy

ASU ranges reported by Android

Radio type ASU range Unknown value
GSM 0-31 99 or unavailable
WCDMA 0-31 99 or unavailable
LTE 0-97 99 or unavailable
5G NR 0-97 255 or unavailable