4G LTE Antennas for UK IoT
Everything you need to select the right 4G antenna for a UK IoT or M2M deployment. Bands, gain, connectors, mounting. No filler.
UK 4G LTE Band Reference
Understanding which bands matter for your deployment is the first step. Not all bands are equal. Band 20 at 800 MHz penetrates buildings and terrain far better than Band 3 at 1800 MHz. Band 3 offers higher capacity in urban areas. Your antenna needs to cover the bands your device will actually use.
| Band | Frequency | Primary Use | Operators | Penetration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B20 | 800 MHz | Rural coverage, primary IoT band | EE, O2, Voda, Three | Excellent |
| B8 | 900 MHz | Rural coverage, O2/Vodafone primary | O2, Vodafone | Excellent |
| B3 | 1800 MHz | Urban capacity, EE strong | All operators | Good |
| B1 | 2100 MHz | Urban/suburban capacity | All operators | Moderate |
| B7 | 2600 MHz | Urban high capacity | EE, Vodafone | Poor |
| B28 | 700 MHz | Rural deep coverage, emerging | EE, Three | Excellent |
Minimum antenna requirement for UK IoT: coverage of 700-2700 MHz covers all 4G LTE bands. A quality outdoor MIMO antenna covering this range handles every UK operator on every 4G band.
Choosing Your 4G Antenna Type
Outdoor MIMO panel (most common). For fixed installations. Cross-polarised dual-element design. Covers both LTE MIMO ports on your router. Two SMA or N-type connectors. Mount externally, cable runs to indoor router. The Poynting XPOL-2-5G is the reference product for this application — 5 dBi, IP67, covers all UK bands including B20.
Omnidirectional vehicle antenna. For mobile assets. Low-profile magnetic or permanent mount. Single or dual port. Must cover B20 for rural UK routes. The Poynting OMNI-402 is widely used for this. Low profile matters on vehicles using automated wash bays.
Directional panel. For fixed rural locations with very poor signal. Aimed at the serving tower. 9-14 dBi. Must know the tower direction. Will not follow handover to a different tower. Use as a last resort when omni performance is insufficient.
Indoor antenna. Only for locations where outdoor mounting is genuinely impossible. Expect 10-20 dB worse performance than an outdoor antenna. Always prefer outdoor mounting even if the cable run is longer.
4G Antenna Specifications: What to Look For
| Parameter | Minimum | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency coverage | 700-2700 MHz | 700-3800 MHz | Future 5G compatibility |
| Gain (outdoor MIMO) | 3 dBi | 5-7 dBi | Signal margin |
| VSWR | < 2.5:1 | < 2.0:1 | Impedance match |
| IP rating | IP65 | IP67 | Weather resilience |
| Connector | SMA male | SMA or N-type | Router compatibility |
| Polarisation | Vertical | Cross-polarised | MIMO diversity |
Cable and Connector Selection
The antenna is only as good as the cable connecting it to the router. At 800 MHz, a 10-metre run of LMR-240 loses approximately 0.8 dB. At 1800 MHz, the same run loses 1.3 dB. That is the difference between a good signal and a marginal one on a fringe deployment.
Use LMR-240 for runs up to 8 metres. LMR-400 for longer runs. Seal every outdoor connector joint with self-amalgamating tape. See the cable loss calculator for your specific run and the connector guide for sealing practice.
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