How do you convert between frequency, wavelength, and energy?

Wavelength is the speed of light divided by frequency. Photon energy is Planck constant times frequency, shown in electronvolts by dividing by the elementary charge. The chart uses the exact 2019 SI values for these constants, so a green photon near 550 nm reads as about 545 THz and 2.25 eV.

Where does the allocation data come from, and can I rely on it?

It is a hand curated summary of the FCC Table of Frequency Allocations (47 CFR 2.106), the NTIA manual for federal bands, the service rules in FCC Parts 15, 73, 80, 87, 90, 95 and 97, the ITU Radio Regulations for regional differences, and the 3GPP band tables for cellular. Every row carries its source. It collapses co-primary services and omits footnotes and geographic restrictions, so treat it as a map, not as the rulebook: the CFR governs.

What do primary, secondary, unlicensed and restricted mean?

A primary service is protected from interference and may not be interfered with. A secondary service may operate but must accept interference from primary users and never cause it. Unlicensed means anyone may transmit with certified equipment under a power limit, no license needed, as in the ISM and Wi-Fi bands. Restricted marks bands where transmitting is prohibited or tightly limited, usually to protect passive users like radio astronomy.

Which amateur bands can a Technician use?

Every band from 6 m (50 MHz) up, plus small slices of 10 m (28.0 to 28.5 MHz), 15 m, 40 m and 80 m for CW, and 28.3 to 28.5 MHz for SSB voice. General adds most of HF, and Extra has everything. Select any amateur band on the chart and the Rules tab lists the sub band privileges by class, taken from 47 CFR 97.301 and 97.305.

Is the RF exposure calculator a compliance evaluation?

No. It applies the far field formula S = EIRP / (4 pi R squared) and compares the result with the maximum permissible exposure limit in 47 CFR 1.1310, and it checks the single source exemption threshold in 47 CFR 1.1307(b). Real evaluations account for antenna patterns, ground reflection, the near field and multiple sources. Use it to see whether a station is nowhere near the limit or worth evaluating properly.

What counts as ionizing radiation here?

The chart flags radiation as ionizing at or above about 10 electronvolts, which is roughly the hard ultraviolet boundary and up through X-rays and gamma rays. The real threshold is not a sharp line: it depends on the molecule and sits somewhere between 10 and 33 eV, so the flag is labeled as approximate.

Why are Wi-Fi and FM radio in different top level bands?

The chart nests the ITU bands under two top level groups: Radio holds ELF through VHF (3 Hz to 300 MHz), and Microwave holds UHF, SHF, and EHF (300 MHz to 300 GHz), because those upper ITU bands are exactly the microwave region. FM broadcast at 88 to 108 MHz sits in VHF under Radio, while 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi sits in UHF under Microwave.

Electromagnetic Spectrum and Frequency Allocations: free, private, in your browser

Radio

Microwave

Infrared

Ultraviolet

X-rays

Gamma rays

ELF

SLF

ULF

VLF

HF (shortwave)

VHF

UHF

SHF

EHF (millimeter wave)

Far infrared (FIR)

Mid infrared (MIR)

Extreme UV (EUV)

Soft X-rays

Hard X-rays

Hover to read values, click to lock the readout. Drag across to zoom in, double click to reset.

Spectrum allocations

Who is allocated what from 9 kHz to 275 GHz. The chart shares the axis above, so panning or zooming either one moves both.

The FCC and NTIA tables, which sit inside ITU Region 2. Shows US, Region 2 and worldwide rows.

Primary Secondary Unlicensed Restricted254 of 254 rows in view

No band selected

Click a bar on the chart, or search above for a band such as 2m, GMRS, radio astronomy, or 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Spectrum allocations, United States

This is a hand curated educational summary of United States spectrum use, not a regulatory document. The FCC Table of Frequency Allocations in 47 CFR 2.106, the NTIA manual for federal bands, and the service rules in the relevant FCC parts are what actually govern. Many rows here collapse several co-primary services into one line, and footnotes, coordination zones and geographic restrictions are omitted. Verify against the primary sources before acting on anything.

Band	Range	Service	Status	Summary
9 kHz to 14 kHz radionavigation	9 kHz to 14 kHz	Radionavigation	Primary	The very bottom of the allocated spectrum, historically hyperbolic navigation systems such as Omega.
14 kHz to 19.95 kHz fixed and maritime mobile	14 kHz to 19.95 kHz	Maritime	Primary	Very low frequency shore to ship transmitters, in practice navy stations that reach submerged submarines.
20 kHz standard frequency and time signal	19.95 kHz to 20.05 kHz	Time and frequency	Primary	A 100 Hz wide slot reserved worldwide for standard frequency and time transmissions at 20 kHz.
20 kHz to 70 kHz fixed and maritime mobile	20.05 kHz to 70 kHz	Fixed links	Primary	Federal fixed and maritime very low frequency links, including the US Navy submarine broadcast stations.
WWVB 60 kHz time code	59.9 kHz to 60.1 kHz	Time and frequency	Primary	NIST station WWVB near Fort Collins, Colorado, the transmitter that sets every radio controlled clock in North America.
Qi inductive wireless charging	87 kHz to 205 kHz	Wireless power	Unlicensed	The operating range of Qi phone chargers and most inductive charging pads, an unintentional radiator rather than a radio service.
Loran C and eLoran, 100 kHz	90 kHz to 110 kHz	Radionavigation	Primary	The long range hyperbolic navigation band centered on 100 kHz, kept as a terrestrial backup to satellite navigation.
Low frequency RFID, 125 kHz and 134.2 kHz	119 kHz to 135 kHz	RFID and NFC	Unlicensed	Proximity cards, pet microchips, car immobilizers and livestock tags, all working by magnetic coupling at a few centimeters.
130 kHz to 190 kHz fixed and maritime mobile	130 kHz to 190 kHz	Maritime	Primary	Low frequency maritime and fixed links, thinly used in North America.
2200 m amateur band	135.7 kHz to 137.8 kHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A 2.1 kHz sliver of low frequency spectrum where amateurs run very slow digital modes over intercontinental distances.
Aeronautical non directional beacons	190 kHz to 435 kHz	Aeronautical	Primary	NDBs: simple low frequency beacons that send a Morse identifier for aircraft automatic direction finders to home on.
415 kHz to 495 kHz maritime mobile	415 kHz to 495 kHz	Maritime	Primary	The old maritime radiotelegraph band, now mostly quiet apart from NAVTEX and a few coastal stations.
630 m amateur band	472 kHz to 479 kHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A 7 kHz medium frequency band for weak signal digital work, opened to US amateurs in 2017.
500 kHz maritime distress, historic	495 kHz to 505 kHz	Maritime	Primary	The original international radiotelegraph distress frequency, silent since GMDSS replaced Morse watchkeeping in 1999.
NAVTEX 518 kHz	517.5 kHz to 518.5 kHz	Maritime	Primary	The international NAVTEX channel, which broadcasts navigational warnings and weather to ships as narrow band direct printing text.
AM broadcast band, 540 kHz to 1700 kHz	535 kHz to 1.705 MHz	AM broadcast	Primary	The medium wave AM band. Carriers sit on 10 kHz spacing from 540 kHz to 1700 kHz, each station occupying about 20 kHz.
Expanded AM band, 1610 kHz to 1700 kHz	1.605 MHz to 1.705 MHz	AM broadcast	Primary	Ten extra AM channels added in the 1990s in Region 2 to relieve congestion lower in the band.
Travelers information stations, 1610 kHz	1.609 MHz to 1.611 MHz	Land mobile	Primary	Low power highway advisory radio run by state agencies, parks and airports, the stations behind the roadside signs.
160 m amateur band, the top band	1.8 MHz to 2 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	The lowest classic amateur band, a night time and winter band where a full size antenna is the size of a football field.
2 MHz maritime mobile	2 MHz to 2.065 MHz	Maritime	Primary	Medium frequency ship to shore radiotelephone working channels.
2182 kHz maritime distress and calling	2.174 MHz to 2.191 MHz	Maritime	Primary	The international medium frequency distress, urgency and safety voice frequency, with 2187.5 kHz alongside it for digital selective calling.
120 m tropical broadcast band	2.3 MHz to 2.495 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	One of the tropical bands, allocated for domestic broadcasting inside the tropics where medium wave suffers from static.
WWV and WWVH 2.5 MHz	2.495 MHz to 2.505 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The lowest of the NIST shortwave time and frequency broadcasts, best after dark over short paths.
Aeronautical mobile route service, 3 MHz	2.85 MHz to 3.155 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	The lowest HF band used for long haul air traffic control on oceanic and remote routes.
90 m tropical broadcast band	3.2 MHz to 3.4 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	The second tropical broadcast band, shared with fixed and mobile services.
80 m and 75 m amateur band	3.5 MHz to 4 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	The workhorse regional night time band. 80 m by convention means the CW and digital half, 75 m the voice half.
4 MHz maritime mobile	4 MHz to 4.438 MHz	Maritime	Primary	The first of the HF marine bands, with 4125 kHz as the distress and calling voice frequency and 4207.5 kHz for digital selective calling.
4.7 MHz aeronautical mobile route	4.65 MHz to 4.75 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Long haul air traffic control voice on oceanic and polar routes.
60 m tropical broadcast band	4.75 MHz to 4.995 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	The busiest of the tropical bands, still carrying domestic services in Africa and Asia.
WWV, WWVH and CHU neighbors at 5 MHz	4.995 MHz to 5.005 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The 5 MHz standard frequency and time band, carrying WWV from Colorado and WWVH from Hawaii at 10 kW each.
5005 kHz to 5060 kHz broadcasting	5.005 MHz to 5.06 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A small extension of the tropical broadcast allocation above the 5 MHz time band.
60 m amateur channels	5.33 MHz to 5.405 MHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	Four fixed channels shared with federal users, the only channelised amateur allocation in the United States.
60 m amateur band, worldwide allocation	5.351 MHz to 5.367 MHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	The 15 kHz worldwide secondary amateur allocation agreed at WRC-15, available to US amateurs since 13 February 2026.
5.5 MHz aeronautical mobile	5.45 MHz to 5.73 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Air traffic control and military air to ground HF, including part of the US High Frequency Global Communications System.
49 m international broadcast band	5.9 MHz to 6.2 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	The classic night time shortwave broadcast band, the first place a beginner finds international stations after dark.
6 MHz maritime mobile	6.2 MHz to 6.525 MHz	Maritime	Primary	HF marine band with 6215 kHz as the distress and calling voice frequency and 6312 kHz for digital selective calling.
6.6 MHz aeronautical mobile route	6.525 MHz to 6.765 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Oceanic air traffic control voice, heavily used on North Atlantic tracks at night.
6.78 MHz ISM band	6.765 MHz to 6.795 MHz	ISM	Unlicensed	An industrial, scientific and medical band centered on 6.78 MHz, used by resonant wireless power systems and some industrial heaters.
40 m amateur band	7 MHz to 7.3 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	The most reliable all round HF band: regional by day, continental to intercontinental at night, and open through most of the solar cycle.
CHU Canada 7850 kHz	7.849 MHz to 7.851 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The National Research Council of Canada time signal station, also on 3330 kHz and 14670 kHz, with a bilingual voice announcement and an FSK time code.
8 MHz maritime mobile	8.1 MHz to 8.815 MHz	Maritime	Primary	The busiest HF marine band, with 8291 kHz for distress voice and 8414.5 kHz for digital selective calling.
8.9 MHz aeronautical mobile route	8.815 MHz to 9.04 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Daytime oceanic air traffic control. 8992 kHz is a US Air Force High Frequency Global Communications System frequency.
31 m international broadcast band	9.4 MHz to 9.9 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	The most crowded shortwave broadcast band, usable day and night across a wide range of path lengths.
WWV and WWVH 10 MHz	9.995 MHz to 10.01 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The 10 MHz standard frequency and time band, the most consistently usable NIST time broadcast across the continental United States.
10 MHz aeronautical mobile route	10.01 MHz to 10.1 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	A narrow air traffic control allocation directly below the 30 m amateur band.
30 m amateur band	10.1 MHz to 10.15 MHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A quiet 50 kHz WARC band for CW and digital modes only, with no contests by long standing gentlemen's agreement.
11.2 MHz aeronautical mobile off route	11.18 MHz to 11.4 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Military air to ground HF. 11175 kHz is the primary US Air Force High Frequency Global Communications System calling frequency.
25 m international broadcast band	11.6 MHz to 12.1 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A daytime and evening broadcast band that follows the 31 m band as the ionosphere lifts.
12 MHz maritime mobile	12.23 MHz to 13.2 MHz	Maritime	Primary	A long haul HF marine band, with 12290 kHz for distress voice and 12577 kHz for digital selective calling.
13.56 MHz ISM band, NFC and HF RFID	13.55 MHz to 13.57 MHz	RFID and NFC	Unlicensed	The carrier behind contactless payment, transit cards, NFC tags, passports, library tags and inductive industrial heaters.
22 m international broadcast band	13.57 MHz to 13.87 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A daytime broadcast band that only opens well near solar maximum.
20 m amateur band	14 MHz to 14.35 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	The classic worldwide DX band, open somewhere on the planet almost every day of the solar cycle.
WWV and WWVH 15 MHz	14.99 MHz to 15.01 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The 15 MHz standard frequency and time band, a daytime path across the continent.
19 m international broadcast band	15.1 MHz to 15.8 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A wide daytime broadcast band, still one of the better populated ones.
16 MHz maritime mobile	16.36 MHz to 17.41 MHz	Maritime	Primary	The long haul HF marine band, with 16420 kHz for distress voice and 16804.5 kHz for digital selective calling.
16 m international broadcast band	17.48 MHz to 17.9 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A daytime broadcast band for long paths when the ionosphere is well ionised.
17.9 MHz aeronautical mobile route	17.9 MHz to 17.97 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Daytime long haul air traffic control on oceanic routes.
17 m amateur band	18.07 MHz to 18.17 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A 100 kHz WARC band with a DX flavor similar to 20 m but with less contest activity to fight through.
15 m international broadcast band	18.9 MHz to 19.02 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A little used broadcast allocation that never attracted many stations.
WWV 20 MHz	19.99 MHz to 20.01 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The 20 MHz NIST time broadcast, a daytime signal that fades out after dark.
15 m amateur band	21 MHz to 21.45 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A daytime DX band that comes alive near solar maximum and can carry worldwide contacts on modest power.
13 m international broadcast band	21.45 MHz to 21.85 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	A solar maximum daytime band sitting immediately above the 15 m amateur band.
22 MHz maritime mobile	22 MHz to 22.86 MHz	Maritime	Primary	The highest of the main HF marine bands, usable only on good daytime paths.
12 m amateur band	24.89 MHz to 24.99 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	The third WARC band, a quiet 100 kHz slot that behaves like a calmer version of 10 m.
WWV 25 MHz	24.99 MHz to 25.01 MHz	Time and frequency	Primary	The highest NIST time broadcast, restored as an experimental transmission and useful as a quick propagation check.
11 m international broadcast band	25.67 MHz to 26.1 MHz	Shortwave broadcast	Primary	The highest shortwave broadcast band, essentially only usable at solar maximum and now nearly empty.
27.12 MHz ISM band	26.96 MHz to 27.28 MHz	ISM	Unlicensed	The ISM band that overlaps CB, home to short wave diathermy, plastic welders, and older radio controlled models.
Citizens Band, 40 channels	26.96 MHz to 27.41 MHz	Citizens Band	Unlicensed	The 40 channel CB service, license free since 1983, still used by truckers, off roaders and farms.
10 m amateur band	28 MHz to 29.7 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A 1.7 MHz wide band that is dead at solar minimum and worldwide on a few watts at solar maximum, and the only HF band Technicians can use for voice.
VHF low band land mobile, 30 MHz to 50 MHz	29.7 MHz to 50 MHz	Land mobile	Primary	Legacy low band dispatch: state highway patrols, forestry, utilities, school buses and federal agencies, on 20 kHz channels.
37.5 MHz to 38.25 MHz radio astronomy	37.5 MHz to 38.25 MHz	Radio astronomy	Secondary	A low frequency radio astronomy allocation used for solar and Jupiter observations and for low frequency arrays.
40.68 MHz ISM band	40.66 MHz to 40.7 MHz	ISM	Unlicensed	A narrow ISM band used by industrial heating equipment, some medical telemetry, and older radio control gear.
49 MHz low power devices	49.82 MHz to 49.9 MHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	The band behind 1980s and 1990s cordless phones, baby monitors, walkie talkie toys and wireless intercoms.
6 m amateur band, the magic band	50 MHz to 54 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A 4 MHz VHF band that is normally line of sight but opens to continental and intercontinental distances on sporadic E and F2 propagation.
TV channels 2 to 4	54 MHz to 72 MHz	TV broadcast	Primary	The bottom of the VHF television band, three 6 MHz channels that survived the digital transition and the 600 MHz repack.
72 MHz radio control, model aircraft	72 MHz to 73 MHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	The traditional 50 channel band for radio controlled model aircraft, spaced 20 kHz apart.
73 MHz to 74.6 MHz radio astronomy, exclusive	73 MHz to 74.6 MHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A protected passive band with no transmitters allowed at all, used by low frequency arrays such as the VLA low band system.
75 MHz instrument landing marker beacons	74.8 MHz to 75.2 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	The outer, middle and inner marker beacons of an instrument landing system, all transmitting straight up on 75.000 MHz.
75 MHz radio control, surface models	75.41 MHz to 76 MHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	The companion band to 72 MHz, reserved for radio controlled cars and boats.
TV channels 5 and 6	76 MHz to 88 MHz	TV broadcast	Primary	Two more 6 MHz VHF television channels immediately below the FM broadcast band.
FM broadcast band, 88.1 MHz to 107.9 MHz	88 MHz to 108 MHz	FM broadcast	Primary	One hundred 200 kHz channels, numbered 201 to 300, with 88.1 to 91.9 MHz reserved for non commercial educational stations.
VOR and ILS localizer	108 MHz to 118 MHz	Radionavigation	Primary	The aeronautical radionavigation band: instrument landing system localizers on the odd tenths from 108.10 to 111.95 MHz, VOR beacons on everything else up to 117.95 MHz.
VHF airband voice, 118 MHz to 137 MHz	118 MHz to 137 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Air traffic control, tower, ground, approach, ATIS and air to air, all in amplitude modulation so that overlapping transmissions heterodyne instead of capturing.
121.5 MHz aeronautical emergency	121.4 MHz to 121.6 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	The international air distress frequency, monitored by air traffic control and by every airliner in cruise.
Weather satellite downlinks, 137 MHz	137 MHz to 138 MHz	Weather	Primary	Polar orbiting weather satellite downlinks, including the NOAA automatic picture transmission signals that hobbyists receive with a simple antenna.
138 MHz to 144 MHz federal land mobile	138 MHz to 144 MHz	Military and federal	Primary	A federal exclusive VHF block used by the military and other agencies for tactical land mobile and air to ground.
2 m amateur band	144 MHz to 148 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	The busiest amateur band in the United States: FM repeaters, packet, weak signal SSB and CW, satellites and emergency communications.
2 m amateur satellite sub band	145.8 MHz to 146 MHz	Amateur satellite	Primary	The satellite only slice of the 2 m band, carrying linear transponder downlinks, cubesat beacons and the ISS packet digipeater.
148 MHz to 150.05 MHz little LEO uplinks	148 MHz to 150.1 MHz	Satellite	Primary	Uplinks for low earth orbit data satellites such as Orbcomm, shared with federal land mobile.
VHF high band land mobile, 150 MHz to 156 MHz	150.1 MHz to 156 MHz	Land mobile	Primary	Business, public safety, taxi, tow, utility and railroad dispatch on narrowband 12.5 kHz channels, plus the MURS channels.
MURS, Multi Use Radio Service	151.8 MHz to 154.6 MHz	FRS and GMRS	Unlicensed	Five license free VHF channels for business and personal use, the only unlicensed service where you may use an external gain antenna.
Marine VHF, channels 1 to 88	156 MHz to 162 MHz	Maritime	Primary	The international VHF maritime mobile band: bridge to bridge, port operations, ship to shore and the Coast Guard.
162 MHz to 174 MHz federal land mobile	162 MHz to 174 MHz	Military and federal	Primary	A federal exclusive VHF block: park service, forest service, border patrol, federal law enforcement and the weather radio network.
NOAA Weather Radio, seven channels	162.4 MHz to 162.6 MHz	Weather	Primary	The National Weather Service broadcast network, seven channels 25 kHz apart carrying continuous forecasts and the Specific Area Message Encoding alert tones.
169 MHz to 172 MHz traveling wireless microphones	169 MHz to 172 MHz	Wireless microphones	Primary	A set of narrow channels reserved for wireless microphones that need to work anywhere in the country without local coordination.
TV channels 7 to 13	174 MHz to 216 MHz	TV broadcast	Primary	The VHF high television band, seven 6 MHz channels that carry a substantial share of US digital television.
216 MHz to 220 MHz automated maritime telecommunications and telemetry	216 MHz to 220 MHz	Maritime	Primary	Automated maritime telecommunications system channels, wildlife tracking telemetry and low power auditory assistance devices.
219 MHz to 220 MHz amateur, data only	219 MHz to 220 MHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A one megahertz secondary amateur segment restricted to point to point digital message forwarding.
220 MHz to 222 MHz narrowband land mobile	220 MHz to 222 MHz	Land mobile	Primary	A 5 kHz channel narrowband land mobile band the FCC carved out of the old amateur 220 MHz allocation in 1988.
1.25 m amateur band, 222 MHz	222 MHz to 225 MHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A Region 2 only VHF band with a small but loyal repeater community and excellent weak signal performance.
225 MHz to 400 MHz military UHF air band	225 MHz to 400 MHz	Military and federal	Primary	The military aeronautical band: air to air, air to ground, tanker rendezvous, satellite communications and the SINCGARS and Have Quick waveforms.
315 MHz keyfobs and sensors	314.9 MHz to 315.1 MHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	The North American short range device frequency: car remote keyless entry, tire pressure sensors, garage doors and home alarm sensors.
322 MHz to 328.6 MHz radio astronomy	322 MHz to 328.6 MHz	Radio astronomy	Primary	A protected passive band used for deuterium line observations and low frequency continuum astronomy.
ILS glide slope, 329 MHz to 335 MHz	328.6 MHz to 335.4 MHz	Radionavigation	Primary	The vertical guidance half of an instrument landing system, paired automatically with a localizer frequency in the 108 to 112 MHz band.
Meteorological aids, 403 MHz radiosondes	400.1 MHz to 406 MHz	Weather	Primary	Weather balloon radiosondes, dropsondes and the meteorological satellite data collection uplinks that go with them.
406 MHz COSPAS-SARSAT distress beacons	406 MHz to 406.1 MHz	Satellite	Primary	The worldwide satellite distress alerting band: emergency locator transmitters in aircraft, EPIRBs on vessels and personal locator beacons.
406.1 MHz to 410 MHz radio astronomy	406.1 MHz to 410 MHz	Radio astronomy	Primary	A protected continuum radio astronomy band directly above the distress beacon slot.
410 MHz to 420 MHz federal land mobile	410 MHz to 420 MHz	Military and federal	Primary	Federal exclusive UHF land mobile, including military base and range communications.
70 cm amateur band	420 MHz to 450 MHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A 30 MHz wide UHF band carrying repeaters, digital voice, amateur television, satellites and microwave beacon links.
70 cm amateur satellite sub band	435 MHz to 438 MHz	Amateur satellite	Secondary	The satellite portion of 70 cm: linear transponder uplinks and downlinks, cubesat telemetry and the FM satellites.
UHF land mobile, 450 MHz to 470 MHz	450 MHz to 470 MHz	Land mobile	Primary	The main non federal UHF business and public safety band: hospitals, schools, retail, construction, taxi and municipal fleets.
FRS and GMRS, channels 1 to 22	462.5 MHz to 467.7 MHz	FRS and GMRS	Primary	The 22 channel bubble pack walkie talkie band, shared between the license free Family Radio Service and the licensed General Mobile Radio Service.
UHF TV channels 14 to 36	470 MHz to 608 MHz	TV broadcast	Primary	The UHF television band after the 2017 to 2020 incentive auction repack, which is where most US digital television now lives.
Channel 37, radio astronomy and medical telemetry	608 MHz to 614 MHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	Television channel 37 was never assigned to broadcasters: it is reserved for radio astronomy and for wireless medical telemetry in hospitals.
600 MHz band, LTE band 71 and 5G n71	617 MHz to 698 MHz	Cellular	Primary	The band cleared from television channels 38 to 51 in the incentive auction, mostly held by T-Mobile and prized for building penetration and rural reach.
600 MHz duplex gap wireless microphones	653 MHz to 663 MHz	Wireless microphones	Secondary	Part of the 600 MHz duplex gap kept available for licensed and unlicensed wireless microphones after they were evicted from 600 MHz television channels.
Lower 700 MHz band, LTE bands 12, 17, 29 and 85	698 MHz to 758 MHz	Cellular	Primary	The lower half of the old television channels 52 to 59, the spectrum that carried the first wide LTE deployments in the United States.
FirstNet, LTE band 14	758 MHz to 798 MHz	Public safety	Primary	The nationwide public safety broadband network: 20 MHz of dedicated 700 MHz spectrum operated under a license held by the FirstNet Authority.
700 MHz public safety narrowband	769 MHz to 775 MHz	Public safety	Primary	Narrowband voice and data channels for police, fire and emergency medical services, paired with 799 to 805 MHz.
800 MHz SMR and public safety, mobile transmit	806 MHz to 824 MHz	Public safety	Primary	The 800 MHz trunked land mobile band: municipal public safety systems, utilities and the old Nextel iDEN spectrum, paired with 851 to 869 MHz.
Cellular 850 MHz, LTE band 5 and 5G n5	824 MHz to 894 MHz	Cellular	Primary	The original 1983 cellular band, still the coverage layer for AT and T and Verizon in rural areas.
900 MHz business and SMR, mobile transmit	896 MHz to 901 MHz	Land mobile	Primary	The 900 MHz land mobile band, paired with 935 to 940 MHz, partially realigned in 2020 to create a 3 by 3 MHz broadband block.
33 cm amateur band	902 MHz to 928 MHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A Region 2 only amateur band that shares its whole width with unlicensed Part 15 devices and federal radiolocation.
915 MHz ISM band	902 MHz to 928 MHz	ISM	Unlicensed	The Region 2 workhorse unlicensed band: LoRa and LoRaWAN, Z-Wave, smart meters, cordless phones, RFID readers, garage doors and telemetry.
UHF RFID, EPC Gen2	902 MHz to 928 MHz	RFID and NFC	Unlicensed	The North American passive UHF RFID band: retail inventory tags, toll transponders, warehouse portals and race timing.
929 MHz to 932 MHz paging	929 MHz to 932 MHz	Paging	Primary	The narrowband paging band, still carrying hospital and emergency services pagers because simulcast paging penetrates buildings better than cellular.
900 MHz broadcast auxiliary and wireless microphones	941.5 MHz to 960 MHz	Wireless microphones	Primary	Studio to transmitter links, remote pickup units and licensed wireless microphones in the band above the ISM allocation.
DME, TACAN and aeronautical radionavigation	960 MHz to 1.164 GHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Distance measuring equipment and its military TACAN cousin, plus the secondary surveillance radar and ADS-B channels, on 1 MHz spacing.
978 MHz UAT, ADS-B for general aviation	977.5 MHz to 978.5 MHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Universal Access Transceiver: the United States only ADS-B link for aircraft below 18,000 feet, which also carries free weather and traffic uplinks.
1030 MHz secondary radar interrogation	1.029 GHz to 1.031 GHz	Radar	Primary	The uplink of the air traffic control transponder system: ground radars and airborne collision avoidance systems interrogate aircraft here.
1090 MHz transponder reply and ADS-B	1.089 GHz to 1.091 GHz	Radar	Primary	The channel every aircraft transponder answers on, and the worldwide ADS-B link that flight tracking websites decode.
GNSS lower L band, L5 and E5	1.164 GHz to 1.215 GHz	GPS and GNSS	Primary	The aeronautical radionavigation satellite band carrying GPS L5, Galileo E5a and E5b, and BeiDou B2, the safety of life signals.
GPS L5, 1176.45 MHz	1.164 GHz to 1.188 GHz	GPS and GNSS	Primary	The third civil GPS signal, higher power and wider than L1, designed for aviation and for dual frequency ionospheric correction.
1215 MHz to 1300 MHz radiolocation	1.215 GHz to 1.3 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	Long range air surveillance and space surveillance radars, including the ARSR-4 joint use radars and the PAVE PAWS early warning system.
GPS L2, 1227.60 MHz	1.216 GHz to 1.24 GHz	GPS and GNSS	Primary	The second GPS frequency, carrying the encrypted P(Y) code and the civil L2C signal used for dual frequency correction in surveying.
23 cm amateur band	1.24 GHz to 1.3 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A 60 MHz wide microwave band used for repeaters, amateur television, satellite work and earth moon earth contacts.
1300 MHz to 1350 MHz aeronautical radionavigation radar	1.3 GHz to 1.35 GHz	Radar	Primary	Long range air route surveillance radars operated by the FAA and the military.
1350 MHz to 1390 MHz federal radiolocation and fixed	1.35 GHz to 1.39 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	Military radiolocation, test range telemetry and fixed links.
1400 MHz to 1427 MHz, the hydrogen line, passive only	1.4 GHz to 1.427 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	The most protected band in radio astronomy: the 21 cm neutral hydrogen line at 1420.405751 MHz, plus passive microwave soil moisture sensing.
Wireless medical telemetry, 1427 MHz	1.427 GHz to 1.432 GHz	Telemetry	Primary	Hospital patient monitoring telemetry, one of three bands set aside so that heart monitors do not have to share with Wi-Fi.
Aeronautical mobile telemetry, 1435 MHz to 1525 MHz	1.435 GHz to 1.525 GHz	Telemetry	Primary	Flight test telemetry from aircraft and missiles at test ranges, shared with licensed wireless microphones under coordination.
L band mobile satellite downlink	1.525 GHz to 1.559 GHz	Satellite	Primary	Inmarsat, Ligado and other geostationary mobile satellite downlinks, plus the satellite based augmentation signals for aviation.
GNSS upper L band, L1 and E1	1.559 GHz to 1.61 GHz	GPS and GNSS	Primary	The band every consumer satellite navigation receiver listens to: GPS L1, Galileo E1, BeiDou B1 and the GLONASS L1 frequency division channels.
GPS L1, 1575.42 MHz	1.563 GHz to 1.587 GHz	GPS and GNSS	Primary	The original civil GPS signal, and the one in every phone, car and watch. Galileo E1 and BeiDou B1C share the same center frequency.
Big LEO mobile satellite uplink, Iridium and Globalstar	1.61 GHz to 1.627 GHz	Satellite	Primary	Handset to satellite uplinks for the low earth orbit voice constellations, with Iridium using 1616 to 1626.5 MHz in time division duplex.
1612 MHz hydroxyl line radio astronomy	1.611 GHz to 1.614 GHz	Radio astronomy	Primary	A protected band for the 1612 MHz OH maser line, which traces the envelopes of evolved stars.
L band mobile satellite uplink, Inmarsat	1.627 GHz to 1.661 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The uplink half of the geostationary L band mobile satellite service: ship earth stations, aviation safety services and satellite phones.
1665 MHz hydroxyl line radio astronomy	1.66 GHz to 1.67 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band protecting the main OH lines at 1665 and 1667 MHz, with 1660.5 to 1668.4 MHz closed to all emissions.
Meteorological satellite downlinks, 1.7 GHz	1.67 GHz to 1.71 GHz	Weather	Primary	Weather satellite data downlinks: GOES HRIT and GRB, polar orbiter HRPT, and the ground receiving stations that feed forecast models.
AWS-3 uplink, LTE band 70	1.695 GHz to 1.71 GHz	Cellular	Primary	Fifteen megahertz of uplink only spectrum auctioned in 2015, paired with downlink at 1995 to 2020 MHz.
AWS-1 and AWS-3 uplink, LTE bands 4 and 66	1.71 GHz to 1.78 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The Advanced Wireless Services uplink block, paired with downlink at 2110 to 2200 MHz, and the main mid band LTE carrier in most US cities.
1780 MHz to 1850 MHz federal fixed and mobile	1.78 GHz to 1.85 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	Federal fixed microwave, tactical radio relay and space operations telemetry, a long standing candidate for future sharing studies.
PCS 1900 MHz, LTE bands 2 and 25	1.85 GHz to 1.995 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The Personal Communications Service band auctioned in 1995, still the capacity backbone of every US carrier.
UPCS band, DECT 6.0 cordless phones	1.92 GHz to 1.93 GHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	The unlicensed personal communications band that DECT 6.0 cordless phones use, sitting in the PCS duplex gap.
AWS-4 and AWS-3 downlink, LTE band 70	1.995 GHz to 2.02 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The downlink half of the supplementary AWS blocks, licensed largely to Dish and used in its 5G build.
2 GHz broadcast auxiliary and space operations	2.025 GHz to 2.11 GHz	Wireless microphones	Primary	Electronic news gathering trucks, wireless camera links and federal space operations telemetry, tracking and command.
Deep space network S band uplink	2.11 GHz to 2.12 GHz	Space research	Primary	The earth to space half of NASA deep space communications, transmitted from Goldstone, Madrid and Canberra.
AWS downlink, LTE bands 4 and 66	2.11 GHz to 2.2 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The downlink block paired with 1710 to 1780 MHz, carrying the bulk of mid band LTE capacity in US cities.
S band space research and space operations downlink	2.2 GHz to 2.29 GHz	Space research	Primary	Telemetry downlinks from satellites, launch vehicles and the International Space Station, plus test range telemetry.
Deep space network S band downlink	2.29 GHz to 2.3 GHz	Space research	Primary	The space to earth half of deep space communications, the band that carried Voyager telemetry for decades.
13 cm amateur band, lower segment	2.3 GHz to 2.31 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A 10 MHz secondary amateur segment used for weak signal microwave work and earth moon earth contacts.
Wireless Communications Service, LTE band 30	2.305 GHz to 2.32 GHz	Cellular	Primary	A 2.3 GHz block auctioned in 1997, held largely by AT and T and constrained by out of band limits that protect satellite radio.
Satellite digital audio radio, SiriusXM	2.32 GHz to 2.345 GHz	Satellite radio	Primary	The satellite radio band: geostationary and highly elliptical satellites plus a network of terrestrial repeaters that fill in urban canyons.
13 cm amateur band, upper segment	2.39 GHz to 2.45 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	The part of 13 cm that overlaps the 2.4 GHz ISM band, used for amateur television, high speed mesh networking and satellite uplinks.
Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy	2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	Frequency hopping short range links: 79 one megahertz channels for classic Bluetooth and 40 two megahertz channels for Bluetooth Low Energy.
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, channels 1 to 11	2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	The original Wi-Fi band: eleven overlapping 20 MHz channels in the United States, of which only 1, 6 and 11 do not overlap.
Zigbee, Thread and 802.15.4	2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz	Unlicensed devices	Unlicensed	Low rate mesh networking for smart home devices: sixteen 5 MHz spaced channels numbered 11 to 26.
2.45 GHz ISM band	2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz	ISM	Unlicensed	The most crowded piece of spectrum on earth: microwave ovens, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, cordless phones and industrial heaters.
2483.5 MHz to 2500 MHz mobile satellite downlink	2.483 GHz to 2.5 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The Globalstar downlink band, also usable for a terrestrial low power service, and shared with Part 15 devices.
BRS and EBS 2.5 GHz, LTE band 41 and 5G n41	2.496 GHz to 2.69 GHz	Cellular	Primary	A 194 MHz wide time division duplex block, originally instructional television, now T-Mobile's main mid band 5G layer.
2690 MHz to 2700 MHz radio astronomy, passive	2.69 GHz to 2.7 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band closed to all emissions, used for continuum radio astronomy and passive microwave sensing.
S band weather and airport surveillance radar	2.7 GHz to 3 GHz	Radar	Primary	The NEXRAD WSR-88D national weather radar network and the FAA airport surveillance radars, both S band.
S band maritime navigation radar	2.9 GHz to 3.1 GHz	Radar	Primary	Shipborne S band navigation radar, the long range set that keeps working in heavy rain when the X band set is blinded.
3.1 GHz to 3.45 GHz federal radiolocation	3.1 GHz to 3.45 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	High power military and civil radars, including shipborne air defense radars, and the subject of ongoing spectrum sharing studies.
9 cm amateur band, what is left of it	3.3 GHz to 3.45 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	The surviving lower half of the old 3.3 to 3.5 GHz amateur allocation, kept on a secondary basis with no fixed end date.
3.45 GHz service	3.45 GHz to 3.55 GHz	Cellular	Primary	One hundred megahertz auctioned in 2022, shared with federal radar operations through coordination zones and a dynamic protection framework.
CBRS, LTE band 48 and 5G n48	3.55 GHz to 3.7 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The Citizens Broadband Radio Service: a three tier shared band where a database grants access around incumbent naval radars.
C band 5G, part of 5G n77	3.7 GHz to 3.98 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The 280 MHz cleared from satellite downlinks in the 2021 auction, the mid band spectrum that Verizon and AT and T built their 5G on.
C band fixed satellite downlink	3.7 GHz to 4.2 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The traditional satellite television and data downlink band, paired with 5925 to 6425 MHz uplinks and the reason for backyard dishes.
Radar altimeters, 4.2 GHz to 4.4 GHz	4.2 GHz to 4.4 GHz	Aeronautical	Primary	The downward looking radar that tells an aircraft its height above the ground, used on every airliner for autoland and terrain warning.
4.4 GHz to 4.94 GHz federal fixed and mobile	4.4 GHz to 4.94 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	Military tactical radio relay, unmanned aircraft control links and test range telemetry, a federal exclusive block.
4.9 GHz public safety broadband	4.94 GHz to 4.99 GHz	Public safety	Primary	Fifty megahertz reserved for police, fire and emergency services broadband: incident scene video, robot control and hot spots.
4990 MHz to 5000 MHz radio astronomy	4.99 GHz to 5 GHz	Radio astronomy	Primary	A protected continuum radio astronomy band just below the aeronautical allocations.
Microwave landing system and AeroMACS	5.03 GHz to 5.091 GHz	Aeronautical	Primary	The microwave landing system band, now largely repurposed for AeroMACS airport surface data links and unmanned aircraft control.
U-NII-1, Wi-Fi channels 36 to 48	5.15 GHz to 5.25 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	The lowest 5 GHz Wi-Fi block, no radar detection required, and the default choice for most access points.
U-NII-2A, Wi-Fi channels 52 to 64	5.25 GHz to 5.35 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	The first dynamic frequency selection block: Wi-Fi may use it only while listening for and vacating on weather and military radar.
5.35 GHz to 5.47 GHz radiolocation and earth exploration	5.35 GHz to 5.47 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	Airborne and spaceborne radar, including synthetic aperture radar satellites. Not available to Wi-Fi, which is why the 5 GHz band has a gap here.
U-NII-2C, Wi-Fi channels 100 to 144	5.47 GHz to 5.725 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	The widest 5 GHz Wi-Fi block, 255 MHz of dynamic frequency selection spectrum shared with terminal doppler weather radar.
Terminal doppler weather radar	5.6 GHz to 5.65 GHz	Radar	Primary	The C band radars at 45 major US airports that watch for microbursts and wind shear on approach and departure paths.
5 cm amateur band	5.65 GHz to 5.925 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A 275 MHz secondary amateur band overlapping the 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum, used for microwave contesting and satellite work.
U-NII-3, Wi-Fi channels 149 to 165	5.725 GHz to 5.85 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	The top classic 5 GHz block, no radar detection needed and the highest allowed power, which makes it the choice for long outdoor links.
U-NII-4 and vehicle to everything, 5.9 GHz	5.85 GHz to 5.925 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	Spectrum reassigned in 2020: the lower 45 MHz went to unlicensed Wi-Fi and the upper 30 MHz to cellular vehicle to everything safety messaging.
C band fixed satellite uplink	5.925 GHz to 6.425 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The earth to space half of the C band satellite service, and historically the main fixed terrestrial microwave relay band.
6 GHz Wi-Fi, U-NII-5 through U-NII-8	5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	The 1200 MHz opened for unlicensed use in 2020, the spectrum behind Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, with room for seven non overlapping 160 MHz channels.
6 GHz licensed fixed microwave and broadcast auxiliary	6.425 GHz to 7.125 GHz	Fixed links	Primary	Licensed point to point microwave links carrying utility control, cellular backhaul, public safety traffic and television studio links.
X band military satellite downlink	7.25 GHz to 7.75 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	The downlink half of military X band satellite communications, including the Wideband Global SATCOM constellation.
X band military satellite uplink	7.9 GHz to 8.4 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	The earth to space half of military X band satellite communications.
Earth exploration satellite downlink, 8 GHz	8.025 GHz to 8.4 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The X band downlink that most imaging satellites use to dump data to ground stations as they pass overhead.
Deep space network X band downlink	8.4 GHz to 8.45 GHz	Space research	Primary	The main downlink for interplanetary missions, from Mars rovers to the Voyager probes in interstellar space.
8.5 GHz to 9 GHz radiolocation	8.5 GHz to 9 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	Military fire control, tracking and airborne intercept radars.
X band marine and airborne weather radar	9.3 GHz to 9.5 GHz	Radar	Primary	Shipborne navigation radar, airborne weather radar, and the search and rescue transponders that answer them.
3 cm amateur band, 10 GHz	10 GHz to 10.5 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	The most popular amateur microwave band, used for rainscatter, tropospheric ducting and record breaking line of sight contacts.
X band doppler radar, 10.525 GHz	10.5 GHz to 10.55 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	Police speed radar, automatic door openers and motion sensors, the X band every radar detector was originally built for.
10.68 GHz to 10.7 GHz radio astronomy, passive	10.68 GHz to 10.7 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band closed to all emissions, used for continuum astronomy and passive microwave sensing of sea surface conditions.
Ku band satellite downlink, lower	10.7 GHz to 11.7 GHz	Satellite	Primary	Fixed satellite downlinks shared with terrestrial fixed microwave, and the band most non geostationary broadband constellations use for user downlink.
Ku band satellite downlink, upper	11.7 GHz to 12.2 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The Region 2 fixed satellite downlink block, used for video distribution, VSAT networks and satellite broadband.
Direct broadcast satellite, 12.2 GHz to 12.7 GHz	12.2 GHz to 12.7 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The DirecTV and Dish Network downlink band, the one every 18 inch pizza dish on a roof is pointed at.
Cable relay and broadcast auxiliary, 13 GHz	12.7 GHz to 13.25 GHz	Wireless microphones	Primary	Cable television relay service and television pickup links, the microwave hops that bring live shots back to the studio.
13.25 GHz to 13.4 GHz airborne doppler navigation	13.25 GHz to 13.4 GHz	Aeronautical	Primary	Airborne doppler navigation radar and spaceborne precipitation radar.
Ku band satellite uplink	14 GHz to 14.5 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The uplink half of the Ku band: VSAT terminals, satellite news gathering trucks, maritime and aviation broadband, and consumer broadband user terminals.
15.35 GHz to 15.4 GHz radio astronomy, passive	15.35 GHz to 15.4 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band closed to all emissions for continuum radio astronomy.
Airport surface detection radar, 15.7 GHz	15.4 GHz to 15.7 GHz	Radar	Primary	The radar that tracks aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways in low visibility.
15.7 GHz to 17.7 GHz radiolocation	15.7 GHz to 17.7 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	Military tracking radar, airborne mapping radar and radionavigation.
Direct broadcast satellite uplink	17.3 GHz to 17.8 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The feeder uplinks that deliver programming to the 12.2 GHz direct broadcast satellites.
Ka band satellite downlink, lower	17.7 GHz to 19.7 GHz	Satellite	Primary	Fixed satellite downlinks shared with terrestrial fixed links, used for gateway feeder links by broadband constellations.
18.6 GHz to 18.8 GHz passive sensing	18.6 GHz to 18.8 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive earth exploration band used to measure sea surface temperature, soil moisture and rainfall from orbit.
Ka band satellite downlink, user terminals	19.7 GHz to 20.2 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The consumer satellite broadband downlink: Starlink, Viasat and Hughes user terminals all receive here.
Military Ka band satellite downlink	20.2 GHz to 21.2 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	Protected government satellite downlinks, including the Advanced EHF system.
22.2 GHz water line radio astronomy	22.21 GHz to 22.5 GHz	Radio astronomy	Primary	A protected band around the 22.235 GHz water vapour line, used to study star forming regions and to measure atmospheric water.
23.6 GHz to 24 GHz radio astronomy, passive	23.6 GHz to 24 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band protecting the ammonia lines and the water vapour channel that weather satellites use to sound the atmosphere.
1.2 cm amateur band, 24 GHz	24 GHz to 24.25 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	An amateur microwave band overlapping the 24 GHz ISM allocation, used for short range microwave contesting.
24.125 GHz ISM band	24 GHz to 24.25 GHz	ISM	Unlicensed	The K band ISM allocation: doppler motion sensors, industrial level gauges, short range automotive radar and drone detection.
24 GHz millimeter wave, 5G n258	24.25 GHz to 27.5 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The lowest 5G millimeter wave band, auctioned in 2019, offering very high capacity over very short distances.
28 GHz millimeter wave, 5G n261	27.5 GHz to 28.35 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The 28 GHz band, the first millimeter wave spectrum deployed for 5G in the United States and the one behind stadium and downtown hot zones.
Ka band satellite uplink	28.35 GHz to 30 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The uplink half of consumer satellite broadband, paired with the 19.7 to 20.2 GHz downlink.
Military Ka band satellite uplink	30 GHz to 31 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	Protected government satellite uplinks paired with the 20.2 to 21.2 GHz downlinks.
31.3 GHz to 31.8 GHz radio astronomy, passive	31.3 GHz to 31.8 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band closed to all emissions, used for continuum astronomy and atmospheric sounding.
Deep space network Ka band downlink	31.8 GHz to 32.3 GHz	Space research	Primary	The high rate deep space downlink band, which carries far more data per watt than the older X band link.
33.4 GHz to 36 GHz radiolocation	33.4 GHz to 36 GHz	Radiolocation	Primary	Millimeter wave tracking and imaging radar, including cloud profiling radar at 35 GHz.
Deep space network Ka band uplink	34.2 GHz to 34.7 GHz	Space research	Primary	The earth to space half of the high rate deep space link.
36 GHz to 37 GHz passive sensing	36 GHz to 37 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive earth exploration and radio astronomy band used for precipitation and snow measurement.
39 GHz millimeter wave, 5G n260	37 GHz to 40 GHz	Cellular	Primary	The largest US millimeter wave block, auctioned in 2020, with 37 to 37.6 GHz shared with federal users under a coordination framework.
40.5 GHz to 42.5 GHz satellite downlink	40.5 GHz to 42.5 GHz	Satellite	Primary	Broadcasting satellite and fixed satellite downlinks in the V band, a growth area for high throughput constellations.
42.5 GHz to 43.5 GHz radio astronomy	42.5 GHz to 43.5 GHz	Radio astronomy	Primary	A protected band covering the 43 GHz silicon monoxide maser lines, important for very long baseline interferometry.
43.5 GHz to 45.5 GHz military satellite	43.5 GHz to 45.5 GHz	Military and federal	Primary	Protected government satellite uplinks and crosslinks, including the Advanced EHF and Milstar systems.
6 mm amateur band, 47 GHz	47 GHz to 47.2 GHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A rare primary amateur allocation at millimeter wavelengths, shared with the amateur satellite service.
V band satellite uplink	47.2 GHz to 50.2 GHz	Satellite	Primary	The uplink half of the V band fixed satellite service, planned for the next generation of high throughput gateways.
52.6 GHz to 54.25 GHz passive sensing	52.6 GHz to 54.25 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band on the shoulder of the oxygen absorption complex, used by weather satellites to sound atmospheric temperature.
60 GHz unlicensed, WiGig and 802.11ad or ay	57 GHz to 71 GHz	Wi-Fi	Unlicensed	Fourteen gigahertz of unlicensed spectrum where oxygen absorption limits range to a room, which is exactly what makes dense reuse possible.
E band fixed links, 71 GHz to 76 GHz	71 GHz to 76 GHz	Fixed links	Primary	Lightly licensed multi gigabit point to point links, paired with 81 to 86 GHz and used heavily for cellular backhaul.
4 mm amateur band, 78 GHz	76 GHz to 81 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A secondary amateur allocation now shared with automotive radar, used for very short range millimeter wave experiments.
Automotive radar, 76 GHz to 81 GHz	76 GHz to 81 GHz	Radar	Primary	Adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and parking sensors on every modern car.
E band fixed links, 81 GHz to 86 GHz	81 GHz to 86 GHz	Fixed links	Primary	The upper half of the E band point to point pairing, carrying multi gigabit backhaul.
86 GHz to 92 GHz radio astronomy, passive	86 GHz to 92 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band protecting millimeter wave astronomy, including the 86 GHz silicon monoxide maser and continuum work at ALMA.
W band fixed, satellite and radiolocation	92 GHz to 114.3 GHz	Fixed links	Primary	The W band: experimental fixed links, millimeter wave imaging, cloud radar at 94 GHz and future satellite feeder links.
114.25 GHz to 122.25 GHz passive sensing	114.3 GHz to 122.3 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band around the 118 GHz oxygen line, used for atmospheric temperature sounding from orbit.
122.5 GHz ISM band	122 GHz to 123 GHz	ISM	Unlicensed	One of the two highest ISM allocations, used for millimeter wave sensing and material measurement.
2.5 mm amateur band, 122 GHz	122.3 GHz to 123 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	A secondary amateur allocation overlapping the 122 GHz ISM band.
2 mm amateur band, 136 GHz	134 GHz to 141 GHz	Amateur radio	Primary	A seven gigahertz wide amateur allocation where the world distance records are measured in tens of kilometers.
164 GHz to 167 GHz passive sensing	164 GHz to 167 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band used for atmospheric water vapour sounding and radio astronomy.
200 GHz to 209 GHz passive sensing	200 GHz to 209 GHz	Radio astronomy	Restricted	A passive band covering ozone and nitric oxide lines, used for atmospheric chemistry from orbit.
1 mm amateur band, 241 GHz	241 GHz to 250 GHz	Amateur radio	Secondary	The highest amateur band with a specific allocation, where a contact of a few hundred meters is a genuine achievement.
245 GHz ISM band	244 GHz to 246 GHz	ISM	Unlicensed	The highest ISM allocation in the ITU table, used for laboratory and industrial sensing.
252 GHz to 275 GHz, the top of the allocation table	252 GHz to 275 GHz	Fixed links	Primary	The last allocated block before the ITU table stops. Above 275 GHz the regulations identify bands for passive science but make no formal service allocations.

Gamma rays are at the start of the axis and ELF radio at the end. Band boundaries follow common conventions and broadcast allocations are United States allocations. The ionizing flag uses an approximate 10 eV threshold. Everything runs in your browser: your files and inputs never leave your device.

Related tools

What it does

Two references in one page. The top half is a single interactive chart of the whole electromagnetic spectrum, drawn to scale on a log frequency axis from gamma rays down to ELF radio, with live frequency, wavelength, photon energy, black-body temperature and color readouts. The bottom half is a spectrum allocation reference: a zoomable chart of who is allocated what in the United States (with ITU region views), amateur band privileges by license class, broadcast, aviation, maritime, cellular, satellite, GPS, radar and radio astronomy bands, the unlicensed and ISM bands, channel tables for Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, LoRa, Bluetooth, DECT, FRS, GMRS and MURS, plain English licensing rules per frequency, an FCC RF exposure calculator, and short notes on how each part of the spectrum propagates and what it does to people.

How to use it

Hover or tap the spectrum to read values, drag across it to zoom, and pan by scrolling. The search box takes a frequency (915 MHz), a wavelength (21 cm), a photon energy (10 keV), a band (2m, 70cm, 6 GHz), a service (radio astronomy), or a channel (wifi 36, zigbee 15, GMRS 19, marine 16) and jumps to it. The allocation chart below shares the same axis: pick a region, click a band for its range, rules, notes and source, and export the visible rows as CSV or JSON. The Rules tab answers whether you may transmit at the selected frequency. The Channels tab lists every fixed channel plan with a show-on-spectrum action. The Exposure tab takes a power, an antenna gain, a distance and an environment and compares the far field power density against the FCC limit. Everything runs in your browser, so your files and inputs never leave your device.

Why this one

Most spectrum charts are static posters, and the FCC allocation table is a 150 page PDF of footnotes. This tool puts the physics chart and the regulatory chart on one zoomable axis, cites a source for every row, spells out the amateur sub band privileges from 47 CFR 97, and computes the exposure limit from the actual 47 CFR 1.1310 formulas instead of a lookup image. It is free of ads, sign up walls and export limits, and it never phones home.

FAQ

How do you convert between frequency, wavelength, and energy?: Wavelength is the speed of light divided by frequency. Photon energy is Planck constant times frequency, shown in electronvolts by dividing by the elementary charge. The chart uses the exact 2019 SI values for these constants, so a green photon near 550 nm reads as about 545 THz and 2.25 eV.
Where does the allocation data come from, and can I rely on it?: It is a hand curated summary of the FCC Table of Frequency Allocations (47 CFR 2.106), the NTIA manual for federal bands, the service rules in FCC Parts 15, 73, 80, 87, 90, 95 and 97, the ITU Radio Regulations for regional differences, and the 3GPP band tables for cellular. Every row carries its source. It collapses co-primary services and omits footnotes and geographic restrictions, so treat it as a map, not as the rulebook: the CFR governs.
What do primary, secondary, unlicensed and restricted mean?: A primary service is protected from interference and may not be interfered with. A secondary service may operate but must accept interference from primary users and never cause it. Unlicensed means anyone may transmit with certified equipment under a power limit, no license needed, as in the ISM and Wi-Fi bands. Restricted marks bands where transmitting is prohibited or tightly limited, usually to protect passive users like radio astronomy.
Which amateur bands can a Technician use?: Every band from 6 m (50 MHz) up, plus small slices of 10 m (28.0 to 28.5 MHz), 15 m, 40 m and 80 m for CW, and 28.3 to 28.5 MHz for SSB voice. General adds most of HF, and Extra has everything. Select any amateur band on the chart and the Rules tab lists the sub band privileges by class, taken from 47 CFR 97.301 and 97.305.
Is the RF exposure calculator a compliance evaluation?: No. It applies the far field formula S = EIRP / (4 pi R squared) and compares the result with the maximum permissible exposure limit in 47 CFR 1.1310, and it checks the single source exemption threshold in 47 CFR 1.1307(b). Real evaluations account for antenna patterns, ground reflection, the near field and multiple sources. Use it to see whether a station is nowhere near the limit or worth evaluating properly.
What counts as ionizing radiation here?: The chart flags radiation as ionizing at or above about 10 electronvolts, which is roughly the hard ultraviolet boundary and up through X-rays and gamma rays. The real threshold is not a sharp line: it depends on the molecule and sits somewhere between 10 and 33 eV, so the flag is labeled as approximate.
Why are Wi-Fi and FM radio in different top level bands?: The chart nests the ITU bands under two top level groups: Radio holds ELF through VHF (3 Hz to 300 MHz), and Microwave holds UHF, SHF, and EHF (300 MHz to 300 GHz), because those upper ITU bands are exactly the microwave region. FM broadcast at 88 to 108 MHz sits in VHF under Radio, while 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi sits in UHF under Microwave.

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