IEVref:713-06-01ID:
Language:enStatus: Standard
Term: frequency band
Synonym1:
Synonym2:
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Symbol:
Definition: continuous set of frequencies lying between two specified limiting frequencies

NOTE 1 – A frequency band is characterized by two values which define its position in the frequency spectrum, for instance its lower and upper limiting frequencies, as opposed to the bandwidth which is characterized by one value.

NOTE 2 – The nomenclature of the frequency and wavelength bands used in telecommunications are given in Table I and its Notes a, b, c and d.

NOTE 3 – Certain frequency ranges are sometimes designated by letter symbols consisting of capital letters which may be accompanied by a small letter as subscript. These symbols do not designate well defined bands, but are used by some radiocommunication services to designate the frequency bands allocated to them which are approximately located in the corresponding ranges. Table II gives for information the nominal limits of the ranges and the usual bands for radar and space radiocommunications. Reference should be made to the corresponding band limits, which may be approximate, or at least to a nominal frequency in the band, the first time the symbol appears in a text.

713-06-01: Table I – Nomenclature of the frequency and wavelength bands

BAND
NUMBER

(note a)

ABBREVIATION

FREQUENCY RANGE
(lower limit exclusive,
upper limit inclusive)

METRIC QUALIFIER

(note d)

METRIC
ABBREVIATION
of the band

WAVELENGTH
RANGE
(lower limit inclusive,
upper limit exclusive)

–1

(note b)

  0,03 to  0,3  Hz

gigametric

B.Gm

  1  to  10  Gm

0

(note b)

  0,3  to  3  Hz

hectomegametric

B.hMm

100  to  1000  Mm

1

(note b)

  3  to  30  Hz

decamegametric

B.daMm

  10  to  100  Mm

2

(note b)

  30  to  300  Hz

megametric

B.Mm

  1  to  10  Mm

3

ULF

300  to  3000  Hz

hectokilometric

B.hkm

100  to  1000  km

4

VLF

  3  to  30  kHz

myriametric

B.Mam

  10  to  100  km

5

LF

  30  to  300  kHz

kilometric

B.km

  1  to  10  km

6

MF

300  to  3000  kHz

hectometric

B.hm

100  to  1000  m

7

HF

  3  to  30  MHz

decametric

B.dam

  10  to  100  m

8

VHF

  30  to  300  MHz

metric

B.m

  1  to  10  m

9

UHF

300  to  3000  MHz

decimetric

B.dm

100  to  1000  mm

10

SHF

  3  to  30  GHz

centimetric

B.cm

  10  to  100  mm

11

EHF

  30  to  300  GHz

millimetric

B.mm

  1  to  10  mm

12

 

300  to  3000  GHz

decimillimetric

B.dmm

100  to  1000  µm

13

 

  3  to  30  THz

centimillimetric

B.cmm

  10  to  100  µm

14

 

  30  to  300  THz

micrometric

  B.µm

  1  to  10  µm

15

 

300  to  3000  THz

decimicrometric

B.dµm

  0,1  to  1  µm

Notes

(a)  “Band number N” extends from 0,3 × 10N to 3 × 10N Hz.

(b)  The abbreviation ELF designates the set of bands –1 to 2.

(c)  In French, abbreviations with letter O (“Ondes”) are sometimes used (e.g. O.km: “Ondes kilométriques”) instead of abbreviations with letter B (“Bande”) indicated in the column “metric abbreviation” of the table.

(d)  Metric qualifiers and abbreviations are not names or symbols of unit, and so may use the combination of prefixes in some cases.

713-06-01: Table II (informative) – Designation of frequency bands by letter symbols

Letter

symbol

Use for radar (in GHz)

Use for space radiocommunications

Spectrum ranges

Usual limits

Nominal designation

Usual limits (in GHz)

L

1 - 2

1,215 - 1,4

1,5 GHz band

1,525 - 1,710

S

2 - 4

2,3 - 2,5
2,7 - 3,4

2,5 GHz band

2,5 - 2,690

C

4 - 8

5,25 - 5,55

4/6 GHz band

3,4 - 4,2
4,5 - 4,8
5,85 - 7,075

X

8 - 12

8,5 - 10,5

 

Ku

12 - 18

13,4 - 14,0
15,3 - 17,3

11/14 GHz band
12/14 GHz band

10,7 - 13,25
14,0 - 14,5

K

18 - 27

24,05 - 24,25

20 GHz band

17,7 - 20,2

Ka

27 - 40

33,4 - 36,0

30 GHz band

27,5 - 30,0

Note. – For space radiocommunications K and Ka bands are often designated by the single symbol Ka.




Publication date:1998-04
Source702-01-02 MOD,ITU-R Rec. 431 MOD
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Internal notes:2018-05-24: 1) Table images replaced by HTML tables. 2) "703-06-01: Table II" corrected to "713-06-01: Table II". JGO
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