Environment
Device type: Quectel EC200U
Cellular technology: LTE
Question
My Quectel module supports LTE Cat 1 bis. Can I connect to any LTE network?
Is Cat 1 bis supported on every network that offers LTE Cat 1?
Answer
No. LTE Cat 1 bis is not supported on every LTE network.
Ensure that your module can fall back to 2G if you are struggling to get an LTE connection. For more tips, see:
Cause
Even though your module was designed to utilize LTE Cat 1 bis, local support for this technology depends on both network-side capabilities and operator configurations.
The mobile network operator (MNO) must allow operation in single-antenna Cat 1 mode. Not all networks do — some still expect dual-antenna capability for Cat 1 devices.
The base station (eNodeB) must be configured to accept and schedule traffic for Cat 1 bis UEs (User Equipment). In some networks, support may exist in theory, but not be enabled in practice.
To learn more about Cat 1 bis, refer to this article: