Instant RF lookup
Find the RF Band for Any Frequency
The result uses broad ITU band nomenclature and the exact speed of light in vacuum.
Each displayed band spans one decade on a base-10 logarithmic scale. Exact shared boundaries belong to the lower-frequency band under the ITU lower-exclusive, upper-inclusive convention.
Spectrum context
Radio Frequency Spectrum Chart
Each named band spans one frequency decade, and the logarithmic scale preserves the true relationship between boundaries.
Classification is not authorization
Finding a broad RF band does not authorize transmission. Frequency allocations, channel plans, equipment approval, emissions, bandwidth, power limits and licensing depend on the jurisdiction and radio service.
Server-rendered reference
ITU-R Frequency Bands, Ranges and Wavelengths
Search all 13 named bands, sort numeric boundaries, or copy a row with its displayed units and engineering notes.
Search by band abbreviation, full name, example use or propagation term. The highlighted row matches the current frequency finder result.
No RF bands match the current search.
| Free-space wavelength | Representative uses | Propagation notes | Copy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TLFTremendously Low Frequency | Tremendously Low Frequency | 0 | 0.3 Hz | 3 Hz | 1,000,000–100,000 km | Extended telecommunications nomenclature; natural-field and geophysical context | Wavelengths approach planetary and interplanetary scales; practical radiating systems are highly specialized. | |
| ELFExtremely Low Frequency | Extremely Low Frequency | 1 | 3 Hz | 30 Hz | 100,000–10,000 km | Submarine communication research, geophysical and natural-field studies | Very long wavelengths; practical antennas are electrically small and inefficient. | |
| SLFSuper Low Frequency | Super Low Frequency | 2 | 30 Hz | 300 Hz | 10,000–1,000 km | Submarine communication and geophysical research | Strong ground interaction and very low available bandwidth. | |
| ULFUltra Low Frequency | Ultra Low Frequency | 3 | 300 Hz | 3 kHz | 1,000–100 km | Mine communication, geophysics, magnetospheric research | Can penetrate soil and rock more effectively than higher-frequency radio. | |
| VLFVery Low Frequency | Very Low Frequency | 4 | 3 kHz | 30 kHz | 100–10 km | Time signals, navigation, submarine communication | Ground-wave propagation can cover long distances; antennas are physically large. | |
| LFLow Frequency | Low Frequency | 5 | 30 kHz | 300 kHz | 10–1 km | Longwave broadcasting, navigation beacons, time standards | Stable ground-wave coverage with some skywave behavior. | |
| MFMedium Frequency | Medium Frequency | 6 | 300 kHz | 3 MHz | 1,000–100 m | AM broadcasting, maritime and aeronautical services | Ground wave dominates by day; ionospheric skywave can extend range at night. | |
| HFHigh Frequency | High Frequency | 7 | 3 MHz | 30 MHz | 100–10 m | Shortwave broadcasting, amateur radio, aviation, maritime | Ionospheric propagation can support intercontinental links. | |
| VHFVery High Frequency | Very High Frequency | 8 | 30 MHz | 300 MHz | 10–1 m | FM radio, television, airband, marine radio, land mobile | Primarily line of sight, with useful diffraction and occasional propagation enhancements. | |
| UHFUltra High Frequency | Ultra High Frequency | 9 | 300 MHz | 3 GHz | 1 m–10 cm | Television, cellular, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, land mobile | Mostly line of sight; smaller antennas and greater building interaction than VHF. | |
| SHFSuper High Frequency | Super High Frequency | 10 | 3 GHz | 30 GHz | 10–1 cm | Microwave links, radar, satellite, 5 GHz Wi-Fi | Directional antennas are practical; rain and atmospheric effects become more important. | |
| EHFExtremely High Frequency | Extremely High Frequency | 11 | 30 GHz | 300 GHz | 10–1 mm | Millimeter-wave radar, satellite links, radio astronomy, high-capacity wireless | High free-space loss and atmospheric absorption; narrow beams and compact antennas. | |
| THFTremendously High Frequency | Tremendously High Frequency | 12 | 300 GHz | 3 THz | 1–0.1 mm | Terahertz imaging, spectroscopy, research communications | Strong material and atmospheric absorption; largely specialized and experimental. |
Boundary convention follows ITU-R V.431-9: the lower limit is exclusive and the upper limit is inclusive. Thus 300 MHz belongs to VHF, while a value just above 300 MHz belongs to UHF. Wavelength ranges are calculated in free space.
Table utilities
Key takeaways
How to Read the RF Band Chart
- Named bands are decade-based. VHF is above 30 MHz through 300 MHz, UHF is above 300 MHz through 3 GHz, and SHF is above 3 GHz through 30 GHz.
- Wavelength decreases as frequency rises. Multiplying frequency in hertz by free-space wavelength in meters returns the speed of light.
- Uses overlap. A service can occupy only portions of a broad band, and the same band can support many services.
- Letter bands are a different system. L, S, C, X, Ku, K and Ka bands overlap the broad ITU bands and should not be treated as replacements for them.
Important Limits and Regulatory Context
Do not select an operating frequency from this chart alone
The chart identifies broad nomenclature only. Consult the current allocation table and service rules for the applicable country, region and equipment. In the United States, federal and non-federal spectrum responsibilities are divided between NTIA and the FCC.
The wavelength result assumes propagation in vacuum. In coaxial cable, dielectric materials, waveguide and other media, phase velocity differs from the speed of light and the physical wavelength changes.
Frequency-to-Wavelength Method
At an exact shared boundary, the lower-frequency band is returned. For example, 300 MHz is VHF; UHF begins immediately above 300 MHz under the ITU lower-exclusive, upper-inclusive convention.
- Convert the entered frequency to hertz.
- Confirm that the value is greater than 0.3 Hz and no greater than 3 THz.
- Match the frequency to the applicable decade band.
- Calculate wavelength and format both quantities in readable engineering units.
At an exact shared boundary, the lower-frequency band is returned. For example, 300 MHz is VHF; UHF begins immediately above 300 MHz under the ITU lower-exclusive, upper-inclusive convention.
Exact-boundary rule
For a band shown as 30–300 MHz, 30 MHz is excluded and 300 MHz is included. This page applies that convention consistently in the calculator, table and spectrum marker.
- Frequency
- Cycles per second, measured in hertz.
- Wavelength
- Distance traveled during one cycle in the stated medium.
- Band boundary
- A nomenclature limit, not necessarily a channel edge or allocation boundary.
Worked Radio Frequency Examples
100 MHz FM-region example
Input: 100 MHz = 100,000,000 Hz.
Band: VHF because 30 MHz ≤ 100 MHz < 300 MHz.
Wavelength: 299,792,458 ÷ 100,000,000 ≈ 2.998 m.
Check: A wavelength near 3 m is consistent with the VHF decade.
2.4 GHz wireless example
Input: 2.4 GHz = 2.4 × 109 Hz.
Band: UHF because 300 MHz ≤ 2.4 GHz < 3 GHz.
Wavelength: 299,792,458 ÷ 2.4 × 109 ≈ 0.1249 m.
Check: 124.9 mm falls within the UHF wavelength span of 1 m to 10 cm.
10 GHz microwave example
Input: 10 GHz = 10 × 109 Hz.
Band: SHF because 3 GHz ≤ 10 GHz < 30 GHz.
Wavelength: approximately 29.98 mm.
Check: A wavelength near 3 cm is consistent with SHF microwave systems.
ITU Bands, Microwave Letter Bands and Allocations
Use ITU broad bands for scale
- ELF through THF describe decade-wide frequency regions.
- They are useful for propagation, wavelength and high-level technology context.
Use letter bands for the stated field
- Radar and microwave references often use L, S, C, X, Ku, K and Ka.
- Boundaries can differ by standard, industry and application.
Use allocation tables for legal service status
- Allocations divide spectrum among services and can vary by ITU Region.
- Assignments and licenses authorize particular stations or systems.
Common radar letter-band reference
These ranges are examples reported by ITU-R V.431-9 for radar terminology. Letter-band usage is not globally uniform, so always state the frequency limits with the symbol.
| Letter band | Example radar range | Overlapping broad band |
|---|---|---|
| L | 1–2 GHz | UHF |
| S | 2–4 GHz | UHF / SHF |
| C | 4–8 GHz | SHF |
| X | 8–12 GHz | SHF |
| Ku | 12–18 GHz | SHF |
| K | 18–27 GHz | SHF |
| Ka | 27–40 GHz | SHF / EHF |
Typical propagation changes across the spectrum
Lower-frequency waves generally diffract more readily and may follow the ground or interact with the ionosphere. As frequency increases, practical antennas become smaller and directional gain becomes easier to obtain, but obstruction, free-space path loss, rain attenuation and atmospheric absorption can become increasingly important.
Sources, Scope and Data Rights
Current ITU-R telecommunications band nomenclature and calculated free-space wavelengths; national allocation tables are not reproduced.
The page independently structures the named frequency bands and calculates wavelength from the exact speed of light. Official allocation sources are linked for regulatory follow-up.
- ITU-R V.431-9 (10/2025) — Nomenclature of the frequency and wavelength bandsCurrent in-force source for the band numbers, symbols, designations, frequency limits and lower-exclusive/upper-inclusive convention used by this page.
- ITU-R terrestrial services FAQExplains the Article 5 international Table of Frequency Allocations, ITU Regions and primary versus secondary services.
- 47 CFR § 2.101 — Frequency and wavelength bandsU.S. regulatory cross-check for the broad VLF-through-band-12 nomenclature and boundary convention.
- 47 CFR § 2.106 — Table of Frequency AllocationsOfficial current U.S. regulatory reference for federal and non-federal allocations.
- NTIA United States Frequency Allocation ChartOfficial high-level U.S. spectrum overview updated in September 2025 using data as of March 2025.
Dataset and Review Details
- Publisher
- Turn2Engineering Editorial Team
- Page basis
- ITU-R V.431-9 (10/2025)
- Calculation
- λ = 299,792,458 / f
- Valid range
- Greater than 0.3 Hz through 3 THz
- Reference medium
- Vacuum/free space
- Dataset version
- RF-BANDS-2.0
- Generated
- August 2026
- Rights status
- Limited educational transformation; no full standards-derived CSV export
Radio Frequency Chart FAQs
2.4 GHz is in the broad UHF band because UHF extends from 300 MHz up to 3 GHz. Specific 2.4 GHz applications still depend on national allocations and service rules.
UHF is a broad decade band from 300 MHz to 3 GHz. L band is a narrower radar or microwave letter designation that overlaps part of UHF, and its exact limits depend on the referenced convention.
Divide wave speed by frequency. For free space, use 299,792,458 meters per second and express frequency in hertz to obtain wavelength in meters.
No. Equipment authorization, emissions, power, bandwidth, duty cycle and operating conditions still apply even where unlicensed operation is permitted.
Charts may use ITU broad bands, radar letter bands, satellite bands, amateur bands, waveguide bands or manufacturer terminology. Always identify the classification system before comparing limits.
Use the Chart for Classification, Then Verify the Rules
Use the finder to identify the broad RF band and free-space wavelength, the logarithmic strip to understand spectrum position, and the table to compare all band limits. For actual transmission or equipment selection, continue to the current allocation and service rules that govern the project.