Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
SHF
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

SHF

frequency band
Also known as: superhigh frequency
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.

Superhigh frequency (SHF) refers to radio frequencies in the range of 3 to 30 gigahertz (GHz), corresponding to wavelengths of 10 to 1 centimeter. This band is part of the broader extremely high frequency (EHF) range. SHF bands are allocated bandwidths typically between 30 and 300 megahertz, enabling high-speed digital communications of up to 1 gigabit per second.1

While SHF is useful for high-speed data, radio waves in this band experience significant losses when passing through building walls. Additionally, atmospheric conditions, particularly rainfall, cause severe attenuation, making the EHF band less populated for terrestrial communication. However, SHF is utilized for intersatellite communication and satellite radio navigation, where atmospheric interference is not a concern.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. telecommunications media - SHF-EHF
  2. radio technology - Frequency bands
  3. SHF

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.