Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
radio-frequency spectrum
References
Images
Diagram illustrating the commercially used bands of the radio-frequency spectrum, with labeled sections for VLF, LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF, and EHF. Each band shows example uses such as maritime radio, AM/FM radio, television, mobile phones, satellite communications, and radio astronomy, along with a scale for wavelength and frequency.
Britannica AI Icon

radio-frequency spectrum

communications
Also known as: radio spectrum
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Diagram illustrating the commercially used bands of the radio-frequency spectrum, with labeled sections for VLF, LF, MF, HF, VHF, UHF, SHF, and EHF. Each band shows example uses such as maritime radio, AM/FM radio, television, mobile phones, satellite communications, and radio astronomy, along with a scale for wavelength and frequency.
radio-frequency spectrum Commercially exploited bands of the radio-frequency spectrum.

The radio-frequency spectrum refers to the range of electromagnetic wave frequencies used for communication and other signals. This spectrum spans from below 3 kilohertz to about 300 gigahertz. Radio waves propagate through air or space without physical conductors, making them ideal for mobile, satellite, and broadcast communications where laying cables is impractical.123

The radio spectrum is divided into frequency bands, such as very low frequency (VLF) and extremely high frequency (EHF). International use of this spectrum is regulated by organizations like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to prevent interference between different radio links. Specific frequency bands are allocated for various services, including FM radio, television broadcasting, cellular telephony, and navigation systems.234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
  1. radio frequency
  2. telecommunications media - VHF-UHF
  3. telecommunications media - HF
  4. broadcasting - International conferences

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.