SpectrumWiki

Radio spectrum allocations

Look up a frequency or a range.

Examples: 88.5 MHz, 1350–1430 MHz, 2.4 GHz

1.6065 MHz (1,606,500 Hz)

ITU Region 1 Allocations

1606.5 – 1625 kHz

FIXED

MARITIME MOBILE 5.90

LAND MOBILE

5.92

ITU Region 3 Allocations

1606.5 – 1800 kHz

FIXED

MOBILE

RADIOLOCATION

RADIONAVIGATION

5.91

Footnotes

  • 5.89   In Region 2, the use of the band 1 605-1 705 kHz by stations of the broadcasting service is subject to the Plan established by the Regional Administrative Radio Conference (Rio de Janeiro, 1988).
        The examination of frequency assignments to stations of the fixed and mobile services in the band 1 625 1 705 kHz shall take account of the allotments appearing in the Plan established by the Regional Administrative Radio Conference (Rio de Janeiro, 1988).

  • 5.90   In the band 1 605-1 705 kHz, in cases where a broadcasting station of Region 2 is concerned, the service area of the maritime mobile stations in Region 1 shall be limited to that provided by ground-wave propagation.

  • 5.91   Additional allocation: in the Philippines and Sri Lanka, the band 1 606.5-1 705 kHz is also allocated to the broadcasting service on a secondary basis. (WRC-97)

  • 5.92   Some countries of Region 1 use radiodetermination systems in the bands 1 606.5 1 625 kHz, 1 635 1 800 kHz, 1 850-2 160 kHz, 2 194-2 300 kHz, 2 502-2 850 kHz and 3 500-3 800 kHz, subject to agreement obtained under No. 9.21. The radiated mean power of these stations shall not exceed 50 W.

  • G127   Federal Travelers Information Stations (TIS) on 1610 kHz have co-primary status with AM Broadcast assignments. Federal TIS authorized as of August 4, 1994, preclude subsequent assignment for conflicting allotments.

  • NG1  The band 535-1705 kHz is also allocated to the mobile service on a secondary basis for the distribution of public service information from Travelers Information Stations operating in accordance with the provisions of 47 CFR 90.242 on 10 kilohertz spaced channels from 540 kHz to 1700 kHz.

  • NG5  In the band 535-1705 kHz, AM broadcast licensees and permittees may use their AM carrier on a secondary basis to transmit signals intended for both broadcast and non-broadcast purposes. In the band 88-108 MHz, FM broadcast licensees and permittees are permitted to use subcarriers on a secondary basis to transmit signals intended for both broadcast and non-broadcast purposes. In the bands 54-72, 76-88, 174-216, 470-608, and 614-698 MHz, TV broadcast licensees and permittees are permitted to use subcarriers on a secondary basis for both broadcast and non-broadcast purposes. Use of the band 614-698 MHz is subject to the provisions specified in NG33.

  • US221   Use of the mobile service in the bands 525-535 kHz and 1605-1615 kHz is limited to distribution of public service information from Travelers Information stations operating on 530 kHz and 1610 kHz.

  • US299   In Alaska, the band 1615-1705 kHz is also allocated to the maritime mobile and Alaska fixed services on a secondary basis to Region 2 broadcast operations.

Wiki entries

AM Broadcast Band

Current Use
535 kHz–1.705 MHz AM Broadcast
The band 535-1705 kHz is used for AM broadcast in the U.S. (among other countries). Stations are assigned center frequencies every 10 kHz starting at 540 kHz and ending at 1700 kHz, and each analog broadcast has a bandwidth of approximately 5 kHz. There is a total of 117 available AM broadcast frequencies in the band.

Because radio signals in this range can travel a long distance by bouncing off the ionosphere (especially at night, when the densest parts of the ionosphere are at very high altitude), careful frequency coordination of the AM broadcast band is required. Some stations are required to reduce power at night, or go off the air completely, to avoid interference to other stations using the same frequency.

Some AM stations are also transmiting an "In-Band, On-Channel" (IBOC) digital signal, which is implemented using far-out sidebands of the analog signal. Digital broadcasting has not had a large uptake in the U.S., and there are lingering problems and concerns with the digital sidebands creating interference to other stations, especially at night when propagation can reach great distances.

AM Broadcast Band

Current Use
535 kHz–1.705 MHz AM Broadcast
The band 535-1705 kHz is used for AM broadcast in the U.S. (among other countries). Stations are assigned center frequencies every 10 kHz starting at 540 kHz and ending at 1700 kHz, and each analog broadcast has a bandwidth of approximately 5 kHz. There is a total of 117 available AM broadcast frequencies in the band.

Because radio signals in this range can travel a long distance by bouncing off the ionosphere (especially at night, when the densest parts of the ionosphere are at very high altitude), careful frequency coordination of the AM broadcast band is required. Some stations are required to reduce power at night, or go off the air completely, to avoid interference to other stations using the same frequency.

Some AM stations are also transmiting an "In-Band, On-Channel" (IBOC) digital signal, which is implemented using far-out sidebands of the analog signal. Digital broadcasting has not had a large uptake in the U.S., and there are lingering problems and concerns with the digital sidebands creating interference to other stations, especially at night when propagation can reach great distances.

As of March, 2012, there were 4,762 AM broadcast stations on the air in the U.S., or about 41 stations per channel on average.