What should the LTE signal strength be?
Today, as we continue exploring LTE concepts like RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR, it’s the right time to understand how LTE signal strength actually affects your experience. Let me walk you through it clearly, so you know what numbers are considered strong and what’s too weak when it comes to LTE signal strength.
When we talk about LTE signal strength, the most common parameters involved are:
- RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power)
- RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality)
- SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio)
Now I’ll explain to you what these really mean in terms of usability and what values you should look for.
LTE Signal Strength Parameters
| Parameter | Signal Range | Quality Level | What You Can Expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSRP | -80 dBm to -90 dBm | Good | You should get stable LTE connectivity, good for web and video use. |
| RSRP | -90 dBm to -100 dBm | Fair | Still usable, but may see drops in speed, especially in high load times. |
| RSRP | -100 dBm to -110 dBm | Weak | Internet may work but with interruptions or slower speeds. |
| RSRP | Below -110 dBm | Poor | Frequent disconnections and poor user experience. |
When you’re evaluating LTE signal strength, you should mainly look at RSRP for signal power and SINR for signal clarity. RSRQ helps to identify if the quality is being affected by interference or load. Let me show you SINR as well so you have the full picture.
SINR Values and What They Mean
| SINR Range | Signal Quality | User Experience |
|---|---|---|
| 20 dB and above | Excellent | Perfect for high-speed tasks like HD streaming, large downloads. |
| 13–20 dB | Good | Consistent internet with minimal lag or buffering. |
| 5–13 dB | Fair | May work fine for browsing but media quality may degrade. |
| 0–5 dB | Poor | Signal suffers from interference, expect connection issues. |
| Below 0 dB | Very Poor | LTE performance drops significantly or may not work at all. |
How You Can Use This
Now that I’ve explained what the numbers mean, you can check your LTE signal using your phone’s field test mode or a network analyzer app. Look for RSRP and SINR together – strong signal with low interference gives you the best experience.
And as we already explored topics like RSRQ drops and SINR impact earlier, you might want to revisit those if you’re noticing poor speeds despite a seemingly strong signal. Often, it’s not just signal power but the surrounding interference that matters.
If you’re working with LTE modems, routers, or doing field optimization, knowing these values helps you decide antenna placement or when to switch to another frequency band for better results.