Spectrum Intelligence
Frequency Bands
Spectrum Intelligence — a structured database of ITU Radio Regulations Article 5 allocations and their historical evolution across World Radiocommunication Conferences.
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VLF / LF
Very Low / Low Frequency
Below 300 kHz
Maritime, navigation beacons, time signals
3 bands
Submarine communications (VLF); maritime radionavigation; standard frequency & time signals (DCF77, JJY, MSF); meteorological aids; fixed and mobile
Long-wave AM broadcasting (Region 1); maritime radionavigation; aeronautical radionavigation; fixed and mobile
Aeronautical radionavigation (NDB beacons); maritime radionavigation; fixed; mobile
MF
Medium Frequency
300 kHz – 3 MHz
AM broadcasting, maritime distress, amateur radio
4 bands
Maritime mobile; aeronautical radionavigation; fixed; mobile
AM broadcasting (mediumwave); maritime distress 500 kHz (legacy, superseded by GMDSS); amateur (630 m, 472-479 kHz — WRC-15); maritime mobile; aeronautical radionavigation
Amateur (160 m band, 1810-2000 kHz); fixed; mobile; maritime mobile
Fixed; maritime mobile; mobile; aeronautical mobile
HF
High Frequency
3 – 30 MHz
International shortwave, aviation, amateur radio
8 bands
Amateur (80 m, 3.5-4.0 MHz); broadcasting (tropical bands); fixed; mobile; maritime mobile; aeronautical mobile
Amateur (60 m, 5351.5-5366.5 kHz — WRC-15); broadcasting (49 m); fixed; mobile; maritime mobile; aeronautical mobile
Amateur (40 m, 7.0-7.3 MHz — extended at WRC-07); broadcasting; fixed; mobile
Amateur (20 m / 17 m / 15 m); broadcasting (multiple shortwave bands); fixed; mobile; aeronautical mobile (R); maritime mobile; standard frequency & time signals
Amateur (17 m, 18.068-18.168 MHz); broadcasting (13 m band); fixed; aeronautical mobile; mobile; standard frequency & time signals
Amateur (15 m, 21.0-21.45 MHz); broadcasting (16 m, 15 m bands); fixed; mobile; standard frequency & time signals; aeronautical mobile
Amateur (12 m, 24.89-24.99 MHz; 10 m lower portion); broadcasting; fixed; mobile; ISM
Amateur (10 m, 28-29.7 MHz); fixed; mobile; broadcasting; CB radio (region-specific, ~27 MHz)
VHF
Very High Frequency
30 – 300 MHz
FM broadcasting, VHF aviation, maritime comms, weather
8 bands
Fixed; mobile; broadcasting (some regions); land mobile
Broadcasting (VHF TV Band I); fixed; mobile; aeronautical radionavigation
FM broadcasting (87.5-108 MHz); aeronautical radionavigation — VOR (108-118 MHz); aeronautical mobile (R) — ATC voice (118-137 MHz)
Meteorological satellite (downlink — NOAA APT/HRPT, MetOp); space research; space operations; fixed; mobile
Mobile satellite (uplink); meteorological satellite (uplink); space operations; fixed; mobile
Maritime mobile (VHF Ch.16 — international distress & calling; GMDSS working channels); maritime mobile satellite (uplink)
AIS vessel tracking (161.975/162.025 MHz); maritime mobile; broadcasting; fixed; mobile; land mobile
Fixed; mobile; amateur (secondary, some regions); broadcasting (some regions); aeronautical radionavigation
UHF
Ultra High Frequency
300 MHz – 3 GHz
Mobile broadband (LTE/5G), satellite, GPS, Wi-Fi
12 bands
Fixed; mobile; meteorological satellite (some allocations); radionavigation
COSPAS-SARSAT distress beacons (406 MHz — EPIRBs, PLBs, ELTs); meteorological satellite; Earth exploration satellite; fixed; mobile; space research
IMT — 4G/5G (700 MHz band; 800 MHz band); UHF TV broadcasting (Bands IV/V); fixed; mobile; Earth exploration satellite
IMT — 4G/5G (900 MHz band); aeronautical SSR/ADS-B (1030/1090 MHz); aeronautical radionavigation (DME, ILS); radiolocation; Earth exploration satellite
Aeronautical radionavigation (DME/TACAN, radar altimeters); radiolocation; Earth exploration satellite (active — SAR); fixed; mobile
Mobile satellite — Inmarsat (maritime, aeronautical, land mobile downlink); COSPAS-SARSAT (1544 MHz — distress alerting satellite element); radionavigation satellite (GNSS)
Mobile satellite LEO (Iridium, Globalstar — uplink); radionavigation satellite (GNSS); radio astronomy (OH line, 1612 MHz — passive); aeronautical radionavigation
Radio astronomy (OH spectral lines — passive); meteorological satellite; Earth exploration satellite (passive); fixed; mobile
IMT — 4G/5G (1800 MHz band; 2100 MHz band IMT-2000); fixed; mobile; mobile satellite (MSS)
Mobile satellite (MSS downlink, 2170-2200 MHz); fixed; mobile; Earth exploration satellite
IMT — 4G/5G TDD (2500-2690 MHz, WRC-07 identification); broadcasting satellite (BSS — Regions 1/3); fixed satellite; mobile satellite
Radiolocation (aeronautical & weather radar, 2.7-3.1 GHz); IMT — 5G (3.3-3.4 GHz, WRC-23; 3.4-3.8 GHz, WRC-19); aeronautical radionavigation; Earth exploration satellite
SHF
Super High Frequency (Microwave)
3 – 30 GHz
Fixed satellite, radar, 5G mmWave, microwave backhaul
20 bands
Fixed satellite — C-band downlink (3.4-4.2 GHz: Intelsat, SES, broadcast distribution); IMT — 5G (3.4-3.8 GHz, WRC-19; 3.8-4.2 GHz, WRC-23); fixed; mobile; Earth exploration satellite
Aeronautical radionavigation; fixed; mobile; Earth exploration satellite; radionavigation satellite (5010-5030 MHz); space research
Earth exploration satellite — SAR (5.3 GHz); RLAN/Wi-Fi (5.15-5.35 GHz, with DFS); radiolocation (weather/airborne radar); aeronautical radionavigation; space research
Fixed satellite — C-band uplink (5.85-6.425 GHz: VSAT, broadcast uplinks); RLAN/Wi-Fi 5 GHz (upper channels); fixed microwave; meteorological satellite; Earth exploration satellite
Fixed satellite (FSS uplink, 6.7-7.075 GHz); fixed; mobile; Earth exploration satellite; space research
Fixed satellite — X-band government/military (7.25-7.75 GHz downlink; 7.9-8.4 GHz uplink); Earth exploration satellite (SAR); radiolocation; meteorological radar
Maritime radar (9.2-9.5 GHz — SOLAS mandated); radiolocation (airborne & ground radar); Earth exploration satellite (SAR); radionavigation; fixed satellite (uplink)
Radiolocation; Earth exploration satellite (active); fixed; mobile; amateur (10.0-10.5 GHz, secondary)
Fixed satellite — Ku-band downlink (FSS: VSAT, broadband satellite, feeder links); broadcasting satellite (BSS feeder); fixed; mobile
Broadcasting satellite — DTH/DBS Ku-band (Astra, DirecTV, BSkyB etc.); fixed satellite (FSS downlink); fixed; mobile
Fixed satellite — Ku-band uplink (13.75-14.0 GHz: VSAT, DSNG); Earth exploration satellite (active — SAR); radiolocation; space research
Fixed satellite — Ku-band uplink core (VSAT, broadband satellite, aeronautical/maritime SATCOM); mobile satellite; space research
Fixed; mobile; Earth exploration satellite (active); space research; aeronautical radionavigation; radiolocation
Fixed satellite (FSS feeder); Earth exploration satellite; radio astronomy; fixed; mobile
Broadcasting satellite — BSS feeder uplinks (17.3-17.8 GHz); fixed satellite — Ka-band downlink (from 17.7 GHz); Earth exploration satellite; fixed; mobile
Fixed satellite — Ka-band HTS downlink (ViaSat, HughesNet, Eutelsat, LEO constellation gateways); broadcasting satellite; Earth exploration satellite; fixed; mobile
Radio astronomy (22.235 GHz H2O — passive); Earth exploration satellite (passive — water vapour profiling); fixed satellite; inter-satellite; fixed; mobile
IMT — 5G mmWave (24.25-27.5 GHz range, WRC-19); fixed; Earth exploration satellite (active); space research; ISM (24-24.05 GHz)
Fixed satellite — Ka-band uplink (27.5-30 GHz: HTS gateways, VSAT); IMT — 5G mmWave (26 GHz, WRC-19); fixed; mobile; inter-satellite; Earth exploration satellite
Fixed satellite (feeder links, inter-satellite); Earth exploration satellite (active); space research (deep space, 31.8-32.3 GHz); radiolocation; fixed; mobile
EHF
Extremely High Frequency (mm-wave / THz)
30 GHz – 3 THz
High-capacity backhaul, satellite, radio astronomy, ISM
14 bands
Fixed satellite (feeder/inter-satellite links); radiolocation (cloud radar, 35 GHz); Earth exploration satellite; space research; radio astronomy; fixed; mobile
Fixed satellite — V-band downlink (40-42 GHz: HTS, LEO gateways); broadcasting satellite; Earth exploration satellite; mobile satellite; ISM (40.66-41 GHz)
Fixed satellite — V-band uplink (HTS gateways, LEO constellations); IMT — 5G mmWave (47.2-48.2 GHz, WRC-19, limited regions); space research; Earth exploration satellite; fixed; mobile
Earth exploration satellite (passive — atmospheric sounding); space research (passive); radio astronomy; fixed; mobile
RLAN/WiGig unlicensed (57-71 GHz, short-range — ITU-R); Earth exploration satellite (passive — O2 absorption profiling); radio astronomy; inter-satellite; fixed; mobile (limited)
IMT — 5G (66-71 GHz, WRC-19, limited regions); fixed microwave backhaul (E-band 71-76 GHz pair); automotive radar (77 GHz); inter-satellite; fixed satellite; Earth exploration satellite
Fixed microwave backhaul — E-band high capacity (81-86 GHz / 71-76 GHz pair); fixed satellite; mobile; Earth exploration satellite
Earth exploration satellite (94 GHz cloud radar — active & passive); radio astronomy (molecular spectral lines); inter-satellite; fixed; mobile; space research
Radio astronomy (passive — molecular spectral lines); Earth exploration satellite (passive); space research (passive); fixed; mobile (D-band 6G research)
Earth exploration satellite (passive — atmospheric sounding, O3 profiling); radio astronomy (passive); space research (passive); fixed; mobile (limited)
Earth exploration satellite (passive); radio astronomy (passive); space research (passive); inter-satellite; fixed; mobile (limited)
Earth exploration satellite (passive — atmospheric composition); radio astronomy (passive); space research (passive); fixed; mobile (future THz research)
Radio astronomy (passive — CO at 230 GHz, molecular spectral lines); Earth exploration satellite (passive — upper atmosphere profiling); space research (passive); fixed; mobile (future THz use)
Radio astronomy (passive — molecular spectral lines); Earth exploration satellite (passive); future THz communications (252-275 GHz — first operational allocation, WRC-19); space research (passive)