Radio spectrum from 3 HZ to 3000 GHZ (3 THZ)

The international Telecommunication Union ITU

Wave length equation

=c

Microwave technology is extensively used for point-to-point

telecommunications (i.e. non-broadcast uses). Microwaves are especially suitable
for this use since they are more easily focused into narrower beams than radio
waves, allowing frequency reuse; their comparatively higher frequencies allow
broad bandwidth and high data transmission rates, and antenna sizes are smaller
than at lower frequencies because antenna size is inversely proportional to
transmitted frequency. Microwaves are used in spacecraft communication, and
much of the world's data, TV, and telephone communications are transmitted long
distances by microwaves between ground stations and communications satellites.
Microwaves are also employed in microwave ovens and in radar technology.

Microwave Range 300 MHz :300 GHZ

Table of ITU Radio Bands

Band Number Symbols Frequency Range Wavelength Range

4 VLF 3 to 30 kHz 10 to 100 km

5 LF 30 to 300 kHz 1 to 10 km

6 MF 300 to 3000 kHz 100 to 1000 m

7 HF 3 to 30 MHz 10 to 100 m

8 VHF 30 to 300 MHz 1 to 10 m

9 UHF 300 to 3000 MHz 10 to 100 cm

10 SHF 3 to 30 GHz 1 to 10 cm

11 EHF 30 to 300 GHz 1 to 10 mm

12 THF 300 to 3000 GHz 0.1 to 1 mm

Radar-frequency bands according to IEEE standard[6]

Band
Frequency range [citation needed]
designation

HF 0.003 to 0.03 GHz High Frequency[7]

VHF 0.03 to 0.3 GHz Very High Frequency[7]

UHF 0.3 to 1 GHz Ultra High Frequency[7]

L 1 to 2 GHz Long wave

S 2 to 4 GHz Short wave

C 4 to 8 GHz Compromise between S and X

Used in WW II for fire control, X for cross (as

X 8 to 12 GHz
in crosshair). Exotic.[8]

Ku 12 to 18 GHz Kurz-under

K 18 to 27 GHz German Kurz (short)

Ka 27 to 40 GHz Kurz-above

V 40 to 75 GHz

W 75 to 110 GHz W follows V in the alphabet

110 to 300 GHz

mm [note 1]
Millimeter[6]

Frequen
ITU cy
Abbreviat
Band name ban and Example uses
ion
d wavelen
gth in air

330 Hz
100,000
Extremely low
ELF 1 km Communication with submarines
frequency
10,000 k
m
 30
300 Hz
Super low frequency SLF 2 10,000 k Communication with submarines
m
1000 km

300
3000 Hz Submarine
Ultra low frequency ULF 3 1000 km communication, communication
within mines
100 km

3
Navigation, time signals, submarine
30 kHz
Very low frequency VLF 4 communication, wireless heart rate
100 km
monitors, geophysics
10 km

30 Navigation, clock time signals,

300 kHz AM longwave broadcasting (Europe
Low frequency LF 5
10 km and parts of Asia), RFID, amateur
1 km radio

300
3000 kH
AM (medium-wave) broadcasts,
Medium frequency MF 6 z
amateur radio, avalanche beacons
1 km
100 m

Shortwave broadcasts, citizens' band

radio, amateur radio and over-the-
horizon aviation
3
communications, RFID, over-the-
30 MHz
High frequency HF 7 horizon radar, automatic link
100 m
establishment (ALE) / near-vertical
10 m
incidence skywave (NVIS) radio
communications, marine and mobile
radio telephony

30 FM, television broadcasts and line-of-

300 MHz sight ground-to-aircraft and aircraft-
Very high frequency VHF 8
10 m 1 to-aircraft communications, land
m mobile and maritime mobile
 communications, amateur
radio, weather radio

Television broadcasts, microwave

oven, microwave devices/communica
300
tions, radio astronomy, mobile
3000 M
phones, wireless
Ultra high frequency UHF 9 Hz
LAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS and two-
1m
way radios such as land
100 mm
mobile, FRS andGMRS radios,
amateur radio

Radio astronomy, microwave

devices/communications, wireless
3
LAN, most
Super high 30 GHz
SHF 10 modern radars,communications
frequency 100 mm
satellites, cable and satellite
10 mm
television broadcasting, DBS, amateur
radio

Radio astronomy, high-

30
frequency microwave radio relay,
Extremely high 300 GHz
EHF 11 microwave remote sensing, amateur
frequency 10 mm
radio,directed-energy
1 mm
weapon, millimeter wave scanner

Terahertz imaging a potential

replacement for X-rays in some
300
medical applications, ultrafast
Terahertz orTremen 3000 GH
THz or molecular dynamics, condensed-
dously high 12 z
THF matter physics, terahertz time-
frequency 1 mm
domain spectroscopy, terahertz
100 m
computing/communications, sub-mm
remote sensing, amateur radio

Microwave frequency bands

Frequency Wavelength
Designation Typical uses
range range

L band 1 to 2 GHz 15 cm to military telemetry, GPS, mobile phones

 30 cm (GSM), amateur radio

weather radar, surface ship radar, and some

communications satellites (microwave ovens,
7.5 cm to
S band 2 to 4 GHz microwave devices/communications, radio
15 cm
astronomy, mobile phones, wireless LAN,
Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS, amateur radio)

3.75 cm to
C band 4 to 8 GHz long-distance radio telecommunications
7.5 cm

satellite communications, radar, terrestrial

8 to 25 mm to
X band broadband, space communications, amateur
12 GHz 37.5 mm
radio

12 to 16.7 mm to
Ku band satellite communications
18 GHz 25 mm

18 to 11.3 mm to radar, satellite communications, astronomical

K band
26.5 GHz 16.7 mm observations, automotive radar

26.5 to 5.0 mm to
Ka band satellite communications
40 GHz 11.3 mm

satellite communications, terrestrial

33 to 6.0 mm to
Q band microwave communications, radio
50 GHz 9.0 mm
astronomy, automotive radar

40 to 5.0 mm to
U band
60 GHz 7.5 mm

50 to 4.0 mm to millimeter wave radar research and other

V band
75 GHz 6.0 mm kinds of scientific research

satellite communications, millimeter-wave

75 to 2.7 mm to radar research, military radar targeting and
W band
110 GHz 4.0 mm tracking applications, and some non-military
applications, automotive radar

SHF transmissions: Radio astronomy,

90 to 2.1 mm to microwave devices/communications, wireless
F band
140 GHz 3.3 mm LAN, most modern radars, communications
satellites, satellite television broadcasting,
 DBS, amateur radio

EHF transmissions: Radio astronomy, high-

110 to 1.8 mm to frequency microwave radio relay, microwave
D band
170 GHz 2.7 mm remote sensing, amateur radio, directed-
energy weapon, millimeter wave scanner

P band

Microwave frequency bands

Frequency Wavelength
Designation Typical uses
range range

15 cm to military telemetry, GPS, mobile phones (GSM),

L band 1 to 2 GHz
30 cm amateur radio

weather radar, surface ship radar, and some

communications satellites (microwave ovens,
7.5 cm to
S band 2 to 4 GHz microwave devices/communications, radio
15 cm
astronomy, mobile phones, wireless LAN,
Bluetooth, ZigBee, GPS, amateur radio)

3.75 cm to
C band 4 to 8 GHz long-distance radio telecommunications
7.5 cm

satellite communications, radar, terrestrial

25 mm to
X band 8 to 12 GHz broadband, space communications, amateur
37.5 mm
radio

12 to 16.7 mm to
Ku band satellite communications
18 GHz 25 mm

18 to 11.3 mm to radar, satellite communications, astronomical

K band
26.5 GHz 16.7 mm observations, automotive radar
 26.5 to 5.0 mm to
Ka band satellite communications
40 GHz 11.3 mm

satellite communications, terrestrial microwave

33 to 6.0 mm to
Q band communications, radio astronomy, automotive
50 GHz 9.0 mm
radar

40 to 5.0 mm to
U band
60 GHz 7.5 mm

50 to 4.0 mm to millimeter wave radar research and other kinds

V band
75 GHz 6.0 mm of scientific research

satellite communications, millimeter-wave radar

75 to 2.7 mm to research, military radar targeting and tracking
W band
110 GHz 4.0 mm applications, and some non-military applications,
automotive radar

SHF transmissions: Radio astronomy, microwave

devices/communications, wireless LAN, most
90 to 2.1 mm to
F band modern radars, communications satellites,
140 GHz 3.3 mm
satellite television broadcasting, DBS, amateur
radio

EHF transmissions: Radio astronomy, high-

110 to 1.8 mm to frequency microwave radio relay, microwave
D band
170 GHz 2.7 mm remote sensing, amateur radio, directed-energy
weapon, millimeter wave scanner

P band