U.S. Non-Federal-Government Allocations
FIXED
MOBILE
Radiolocation
FCC rule parts
SpectrumWiki
Radio spectrum allocations
Look up a frequency or a range.
Examples: 88.5 MHz, 1350–1430 MHz, 2.4 GHz
2.45 GHz (2,450,000,000 Hz)
U.S. Federal Government Allocations
ITU Region 1 Allocations
FIXED
MOBILE
Radiolocation
ITU Region 2 Allocations
FIXED
MOBILE
RADIOLOCATION
ITU Region 3 Allocations
FIXED
MOBILE
RADIOLOCATION
Footnotes
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5.150 The following bands:
- 13 553-13 567 kHz (centre frequency 13 560 kHz),
- 26 957-27 283 kHz (centre frequency 27 120 kHz),
- 40.66-40.70 MHz (centre frequency 40.68 MHz),
- 902-928 MHz in Region 2 (centre frequency 915 MHz),
- 2 400-2 500 MHz (centre frequency 2 450 MHz),
- 5 725-5 875 MHz (centre frequency 5 800 MHz), and
- 24-24.25 GHz (centre frequency 24.125 GHz)
are also designated for industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications. Radiocommunication services operating within these bands must accept harmful interference which may be caused by these applications. ISM equipment operating in these bands is subject to the provisions of No. 15.13.
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US41 In the band 2450-2500 MHz, the Federal radiolocation service is permitted on condition that harmful interference is not caused to non-Federal services.
Wiki entries
802.11/WLAN/Wi-Fi/WiGig
Current Use
2400–2495 MHz Wireless LANs
Wireless LANS utilize various channels in the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands (multiple countries), and (in theory) the 3.6 GHz band (U.S. only). For a list of which channels are available in which regions, refer to the Wikipedia article.
Wi-Fi is a trademark permitted for devices that are based upon a published standard of the IEEE 802.11 committee and that have been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi is presently incorporated in about three billion devices. Wireless cash registers were one of the earliest applications of what is now Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi devices operate on an unlicensed basis, generally meaning they cannot cause interference to licensed services, and must accept any interference caused to them. Wi-Fi shares bands with other unlicensed or ISM devices, such as cordless phones at 2.4 and 5.8 GHz and microwave ovens at 2.4 GHz.
Some of the key patents related to Wi-Fi are credited (in the courts at least) to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia, which has collected over $400 million in royalties and legal settlements over patent rights.
Wi-Fi is a trademark permitted for devices that are based upon a published standard of the IEEE 802.11 committee and that have been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi is presently incorporated in about three billion devices. Wireless cash registers were one of the earliest applications of what is now Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi devices operate on an unlicensed basis, generally meaning they cannot cause interference to licensed services, and must accept any interference caused to them. Wi-Fi shares bands with other unlicensed or ISM devices, such as cordless phones at 2.4 and 5.8 GHz and microwave ovens at 2.4 GHz.
Some of the key patents related to Wi-Fi are credited (in the courts at least) to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia, which has collected over $400 million in royalties and legal settlements over patent rights.
Google Project Loon
Current Use
2400–2500 MHz Project Loon
Starting in June 2013, Google is experimenting with bringing broadband Internet service to remote areas through the use of high-altitude balloons. The service uses the 2.4 and 5.8 GHz ISM bands for both service and backhaul. Google is first experimenting with the service in New Zealand, and claims that 3G-like speeds are achievable.
More information is available on the Google Project Loon Web site (link below)
More information is available on the Google Project Loon Web site (link below)
Industrial, Scientific, and Medical Devices (ISM, FCC Part 18)
Current Use
2400–2500 MHz ISM (particularly microwave ovens)
Part 18 (section 18.301) of the FCC rules designate certain bands for high-power Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) devices. These devices generate significant radio energy, but not for telecommunications purposes. Examples includes microwave ovens, industrial heaters, medical diathermy, jewelry cleaners, and RFID tags.
ISM devices may be operated in most frequency bands subject to strict power limits, but are allowed unlimited power in these eleven specially-designated ISM bands.
ISM devices may be operated in most frequency bands subject to strict power limits, but are allowed unlimited power in these eleven specially-designated ISM bands.
Radiofrequency Identification (RFID)
Current Use
2400–2500 MHz RFID
An RFID system consists of an interrogator and a transponder, and is used for identification and data capture. RFID systems are used for a very wide range of applications, including:
Highway tolls
Vehicle tracking
Container tracking
Inventory control & theft prevention (often used to prevent shoplifting)
Healthcare (patient & drug tracking)
Passports
ID cards
Building entry
Livestock & pet tracking
and numerous other applications.
RFID tags can be extremely small devices with little or no internal power, which respond to an interrogation by utilizing some of the RF energy imparted by the interrogator; or they can be larger powered units that can be interrogated over larger distances.
The ITU is in the process of attempting to harmonize RFID bands, since RFID systems are used for global commerce. ITU Study Group 1 (Working Party 1B) is drafting a new ITU-R Recommendation on RFID.
ISO/IEC18000 is the principal standard for the RFID air interface.
RFID systems typically operate in ISM and unlicensed bands.
The bands listed below represent the totality of the various bands presently used around the world. The exact bands used in specific countries may vary (and is what the ITU is attempting to harmonize).
Highway tolls
Vehicle tracking
Container tracking
Inventory control & theft prevention (often used to prevent shoplifting)
Healthcare (patient & drug tracking)
Passports
ID cards
Building entry
Livestock & pet tracking
and numerous other applications.
RFID tags can be extremely small devices with little or no internal power, which respond to an interrogation by utilizing some of the RF energy imparted by the interrogator; or they can be larger powered units that can be interrogated over larger distances.
The ITU is in the process of attempting to harmonize RFID bands, since RFID systems are used for global commerce. ITU Study Group 1 (Working Party 1B) is drafting a new ITU-R Recommendation on RFID.
ISO/IEC18000 is the principal standard for the RFID air interface.
RFID systems typically operate in ISM and unlicensed bands.
The bands listed below represent the totality of the various bands presently used around the world. The exact bands used in specific countries may vary (and is what the ITU is attempting to harmonize).
Unlicensed bands
Current Use
2400–2483.5 MHz Unlicensed band (commonly used by Wi-Fi)
Although these bands are allocated for ISM use, e.g. microwave ovens and industrial equipment, a major use has been unlicensed (Part 15) systems such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee. In the period 1995-2005, most of the cordless phones marketed in the US were in the 902-928 MHz band, but conflicts with the other uses and availability of DECT equipment has greatly decreased sales of 902-928 MHz cordless phones.
The rules for these bands sprung from FCC Docket 81-413 which sought to end an implicit prohibition of spread spectrum/CDMA technology that resulted from a focus on FDMA spectrum uses. This resulted in rules adopted in 1985 that allow unlicensed spread spectrum systems to use these bands for almost any possible application subject to a 1W power limit and a power spectral density limit. Initial applications, however, were limited to frequency hopping and "direct sequence" modulations, the latter being subject to ill-defined spreading and processing gain requirements.
An FCC rulemaking in 2002, in ET Docket No. 99-231, dropped the spreading and processing gain requirements, and permitted any digital modulation that meets the power and power spectral density limits. The immediate effect was to authorize Wi-Fi products under standard IEEE 802.11g. Subsequent Wi-Fi standards, including n and ac, were eligible for certification with no further rule changes.
Bluetooth is authorized under the original 1985 frequency hopping provisions.
The 2400 and 5800 MHz bands are used for Wi-Fi.
A good history is "The Innovation Journey of Wi-Fi: The Road To Global Success" by Wolter Lemstra, Vic Hayes, John Groenewegen; Cambridge University Press, 2010.
The rules for these bands sprung from FCC Docket 81-413 which sought to end an implicit prohibition of spread spectrum/CDMA technology that resulted from a focus on FDMA spectrum uses. This resulted in rules adopted in 1985 that allow unlicensed spread spectrum systems to use these bands for almost any possible application subject to a 1W power limit and a power spectral density limit. Initial applications, however, were limited to frequency hopping and "direct sequence" modulations, the latter being subject to ill-defined spreading and processing gain requirements.
An FCC rulemaking in 2002, in ET Docket No. 99-231, dropped the spreading and processing gain requirements, and permitted any digital modulation that meets the power and power spectral density limits. The immediate effect was to authorize Wi-Fi products under standard IEEE 802.11g. Subsequent Wi-Fi standards, including n and ac, were eligible for certification with no further rule changes.
Bluetooth is authorized under the original 1985 frequency hopping provisions.
The 2400 and 5800 MHz bands are used for Wi-Fi.
A good history is "The Innovation Journey of Wi-Fi: The Road To Global Success" by Wolter Lemstra, Vic Hayes, John Groenewegen; Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Bluetooth
Current Use
2.45 GHz Bluetooth channel 48
Bluetooth is a very short-range "piconet" standard for the wireless exchange of data between devices. According to the Bluetooth standard, the technology is "intended to replace the cable(s) connecting portable and/or fixed electronic devices."
Bluetooth uses 79 channels, each separated by 1 MHz, across the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band (2400-2483.5 MHz). Devices utilize frequency hopping among the 79 available channels, avoiding channels with interference due to other unlicensed and ISM devices operating in the band, such as Wi-Fi, microwave ovens, and cordless phones.
The power output of a Bluetooth device is 1-100 mW (Class 1 device), 0.25-2.5 mW (Class 2), and 1 mW or less (Class 3).
The instantaneous bandwidth of a Bluetooth transmission is defined such that the measured power in a 100 kHz bandwidth 500 kHz removed from the center frequency is at least 20 dB below the total carrier power. The standard hopping rate for Bluetooth is 1600 hops/second, and a maximum hopping rate of 3200 hops/second is employed in some modes.
The RF channel k has a frequency of 2402 + k MHz, k=0,...,78.
Bluetooth uses 79 channels, each separated by 1 MHz, across the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band (2400-2483.5 MHz). Devices utilize frequency hopping among the 79 available channels, avoiding channels with interference due to other unlicensed and ISM devices operating in the band, such as Wi-Fi, microwave ovens, and cordless phones.
The power output of a Bluetooth device is 1-100 mW (Class 1 device), 0.25-2.5 mW (Class 2), and 1 mW or less (Class 3).
The instantaneous bandwidth of a Bluetooth transmission is defined such that the measured power in a 100 kHz bandwidth 500 kHz removed from the center frequency is at least 20 dB below the total carrier power. The standard hopping rate for Bluetooth is 1600 hops/second, and a maximum hopping rate of 3200 hops/second is employed in some modes.
The RF channel k has a frequency of 2402 + k MHz, k=0,...,78.
Common Carrier Fixed Point-to-Point Microwave
Current Use
2450–2500 MHz Common Carrier Fixed Point-to-Point Microwave
These bands are permitted for use by common carrier fixed point-to-point microwave systems under Part 101, Subparts C & I of the FCC rules.
ZigBee
Current Use
2.45 GHz ZigBee (worldwide)
ZigBee is a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) specification based upon the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Zigbee is often employed for wireless mesh network applications, where numerous devices within a geographic area communicate with the neighbors, which pass the message along to its neighbors, and so forth, to create a distributed network. Smart Power Meters, installed at business and residences, have begun using ZigBee to communicate power usage and billing data.
ZigBee transmitters are unlicensed devices that operate in bands typically used by other unlicensed devices, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cordless phones.
According to the ZigBee Alliance, "after 10 years and millions of implementations every year, ZigBee standards prove you can rely on the widest variety of smart and easy-to-use products for just about anywhere you work, live or play. Our innovative standards are designed to let product manufacturers help their customers create their own Internet of Things and M2M wireless sensor networks to gain greater control of, and even improve, everyday activities."
ZigBee supports data rates of up to 250 kbps using O-QPSK modulation in the 2.4 GHz band (worldwide); 40 kbps using BPSK in the 915 MHz band (North America and Australia only); and 20 kbps using BPSK in the 868 MHz band (Europe). Unlike Bluetooth, ZigBee does not use frequency hopping.
ZigBee transmitters are unlicensed devices that operate in bands typically used by other unlicensed devices, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cordless phones.
According to the ZigBee Alliance, "after 10 years and millions of implementations every year, ZigBee standards prove you can rely on the widest variety of smart and easy-to-use products for just about anywhere you work, live or play. Our innovative standards are designed to let product manufacturers help their customers create their own Internet of Things and M2M wireless sensor networks to gain greater control of, and even improve, everyday activities."
ZigBee supports data rates of up to 250 kbps using O-QPSK modulation in the 2.4 GHz band (worldwide); 40 kbps using BPSK in the 915 MHz band (North America and Australia only); and 20 kbps using BPSK in the 868 MHz band (Europe). Unlike Bluetooth, ZigBee does not use frequency hopping.