You picked a 4G CPE and are ready to export to Southeast Asia. Vietnam customers say 'full bars but slow', Indonesia customers say 'no signal in the suburbs'. Not a faulty device — it lacks the local carrier's main bands. Miss one Band and speed drops a notch; miss the rural low band and suburbs go dead.
Five SEA countries: main 4G bands (mostly FDD)
- Vietnam: B1(2100)/B3(1800)/B5(850)/B7(2600)/B8(900); rural coverage via B28(700).
- Thailand: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B28(700)/B40(2300 TDD).
- Indonesia: B1/B3/B5/B8/B40(2300)/B41(2500 TDD)/B28(700).
- Malaysia: B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20(800)/B28(700)/B40/B41.
- Philippines: B1/B3/B5/B7/B28(700)/B41(2500 TDD).
What missing bands does
- Missing core FDD B1/B3/B8 → low urban capacity, slow at peak hours.
- Missing B28(700MHz) low band → poor rural/indoor penetration, full bars but no internet.
- Missing TDD B40/B41 → can't attach to local high-speed TDD carriers, peak rate capped.
Procurement checklist (tick each before ordering)
- Vietnam/Philippines: must include B1/B3/B5/B7/B8 + B28.
- Indonesia/Malaysia/Thailand: add B40/B41 (TDD) on top.
- Pan-region version: cover at least B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B28/B40/B41.
- Ask the supplier for a screenshot of real attachment to a local carrier — don't trust the spec sheet alone.
Don't buy '4G support' — buy 'which bands'. Right bands on the same chip deliver twice the experience.
FAQ
How to choose 4G CPE antennas and ports?
External high-gain antennas improve weak-signal areas; check LAN port count, PoE, SIM slot.
Single-SIM or dual-SIM (failover) CPE?
Dual-SIM standby auto-switches when the primary fails; most cases single-SIM suffices, dual for redundancy.
What is PoE on a 4G CPE for?
One cable carries data and power—no separate PSU; ideal for ceiling/outdoor installs.
Is the max-device count (client capacity) usually overstated?
Look at concurrent connections and real throughput, not the advertised max clients.