Radio Frequency bands are standardized ranges of the Electromagnetic Spectrum used for wireless communication, Radar, and sensing.
ITU Band Classification
This classification system covers all possible frequencies.
| Band | Name | Frequency | Wavelength | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELF | Extremely Low Frequency | 3-30 Hz | 100,000-10,000 km | Submarine comms |
| SLF | Super Low Frequency | 30-300 Hz | 10,000-1,000 km | Submarine comms |
| ULF | Ultra Low Frequency | 300 Hz - 3 kHz | 1,000-100 km | Underground comms |
| VLF | Very Low Frequency | 3-30 kHz | 100-10 km | Navigation, time signals |
| LF | Low Frequency | 30-300 kHz | 10-1 km | AM longwave, navigation |
| MF | Medium Frequency | 300 kHz - 3 MHz | 1 km - 100 m | AM broadcast radio |
| HF | High Frequency | 3-30 MHz | 100-10 m | Shortwave, military, amateur |
| VHF | Very High Frequency | 30-300 MHz | 10-1 m | FM radio, TV, ATC, marine |
| UHF | Ultra High Frequency | 300 MHz - 3 GHz | 1 m - 10 cm | TV, cell, GPS, ADS-B, WiFi |
| SHF | Super High Frequency | 3-30 GHz | 10-1 cm | Radar, satellite, 5G |
| EHF | Extremely High Frequency | 30-300 GHz | 10-1 mm | Millimeter wave, 5G, imaging |
| THF | Tremendously High Frequency | 300 GHz - 3 THz | 1-0.1 mm | Terahertz imaging, research |
IEEE Band Classification
Used in radar, satellite, and defense contexts. These overlay on the ITU bands, and only cover a subset of the spectrum.
| Band | Frequency | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| HF | 3-30 MHz | 10-100 m |
| VHF | 30-300 MHz | 1-10 m |
| UHF | 300 MHz - 1 GHz | 30-100 cm |
| L | 1-2 GHz | 15-30 cm |
| S | 2-4 GHz | 7.5-15 cm |
| C | 4-8 GHz | 3.75-7.5 cm |
| X | 8-12 GHz | 2.5-3.75 cm |
| Ku | 12-18 GHz | 1.67-2.5 cm |
| K | 18-27 GHz | 1.1-1.67 cm |
| Ka | 27-40 GHz | 0.75-1.1 cm |
| V | 40-75 GHz | 4-7.5 mm |
| W | 75-110 GHz | 2.7-4 mm |
| mm | 110-300 GHz | 1-2.7 mm |