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SpectrumWiki

Radio spectrum allocations

Look up a frequency or a range.

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

29.1 GHz (29,100,000,000 Hz)

U.S. Federal Government Allocations

27.5 – 30 GHz

Footnotes

  • 5.516B   The following bands are identified for use by high-density applications in the fixed-satellite service:

    17.3-17.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 1,
    18.3-19.3 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 2,
    19.7-20.2 GHz (space-to-Earth) in all Regions,
    39.5-40 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 1,
    40-40.5 GHz (space-to-Earth) in all Regions,
    40.5-42 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 2,
    47.5-47.9 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 1,
    48.2-48.54 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 1,
    49.44-50.2 GHz (space-to-Earth) in Region 1,

    and

    27.5-27.82 GHz (Earth-to-space) in Region 1,
    28.35-28.45 GHz (Earth-to-space) in Region 2,
    28.45-28.94 GHz (Earth-to-space) in all Regions,
    28.94-29.1 GHz (Earth-to-space) in Region 2 and 3,
    29.25-29.46 GHz (Earth-to-space) in Region 2,
    29.46-30 GHz (Earth-to-space) in all Regions,
    48.2-50.2 GHz (Earth-to-space) in Region 2.

    This identification does not preclude the use of these frequency bands by other fixed-satellite service applications or by other services to which these frequency bands are allocated on a co-primary basis and does not establish priority in these Radio Regulations among users of the frequency bands. Administrations should take this into account when considering regulatory provisions in relation to these frequency bands. See Resolution 143 (Rev.WRC 19). (WRC-19)

  • 5.517A   The operation of earth stations in motion communicating with geostationary fixed-satellite service space stations within the frequency bands 17.7-19.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 27.5-29.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) shall be subject to the application of Resolution 169 (WRC 19). (WRC 19)

  • 5.523C   No. 22.2 shall continue to apply in the bands 19.3-19.6 GHz and 29.1-29.4 GHz, between feeder links of non-geostationary mobile-satellite service networks and those fixed-satellite service networks for which complete Appendix 4 coordination information, or notification information, is considered as having been received by the Bureau prior to 18 November 1995. (WRC-97)

  • 5.523E   No. 22.2 shall continue to apply in the bands 19.6-19.7 GHz and 29.4-29.5 GHz, between feeder links of non-geostationary mobile-satellite service networks and those fixed-satellite service networks for which complete Appendix 4 coordination information, or notification information, is considered as having been received by the Bureau by 21 November 1997. (WRC-97)

  • 5.535A   The use of the band 29.1-29.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) by the fixed-satellite service is limited to geostationary-satellite systems and feeder links to non-geostationary-satellite systems in the mobile-satellite service. Such use is subject to the application of the provisions of No. 9.11A, but not subject to the provisions of No. 22.2, except as indicated in Nos. 5.523C and 5.523E where such use is not subject to the provisions of No. 9.11A and shall continue to be subject to Articles 9 (except No. 9.11A) and 11 procedures, and to the provisions of No. 22.2. (WRC-97)

  • 5.539   The band 27.5-30 GHz may be used by the fixed-satellite service (Earth-to-space) for the provision of feeder links for the broadcasting-satellite service.

  • 5.540   Additional allocation: the band 27.501-29.999 GHz is also allocated to the fixed-satellite service (space-to-Earth) on a secondary basis for beacon transmissions intended for up-link power control.

  • 5.541   In the band 28.5-30 GHz, the earth exploration-satellite service is limited to the transfer of data between stations and not to the primary collection of information by means of active or passive sensors.

  • 5.541A   Feeder links of non-geostationary networks in the mobile-satellite service and geostationary networks in the fixed-satellite service operating in the band 29.1-29.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) shall employ uplink adaptive power control or other methods of fade compensation, such that the earth station transmissions shall be conducted at the power level required to meet the desired link performance while reducing the level of mutual interference between both networks. These methods shall apply to networks for which Appendix 4 coordination information is considered as having been received by the Bureau after 17 May 1996 and until they are changed by a future competent world radiocommunication conference. Administrations submitting Appendix 4 information for coordination before this date are encouraged to utilize these techniques to the extent practicable. (WRC 2000)

  • NG166  The use of the bands 19.4-19.6 GHz and 29.1-29.25 GHz by the fixed-satellite service is limited to feeder links for non-geostationary-satellite systems in the mobile-satellite service.

Wiki entries

Airport Body Scanners

Current Use 24.25–30 GHz Airport body scanners
Under an FCC waiver (link below) issued to SafeView, Inc., since acquired by L-3 Security & Detection Systems, full-body airport scanners can use repeated sweeps over the range 24.25-30 GHz to detect objects hidden underneath clothes. These units are referred to as millimeter wave scanners by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), but don't actually operate in the millimeter wave band (30-300 GHz).

Quoting from the FCC waiver: "The SafeView SafeScout imaging device is a security portal that uses imaging technology to detect weapons or contraband carried on an individual’s person, including non-metallic objects or explosives, which might otherwise require intrusive manual searches or be missed entirely by existing metal detectors. A person to be scanned by the SafeView device steps briefly into a transparent, upright cylinder seven feet high by four feet in diameter. Two vertical antenna masts rotate around the person over a 2-second interval. Each antenna element in turn sweeps from 24.25 to 30 GHz, operating for approximately six microseconds per sweep. The device measures reflections of the radio signals from the subject and calculates an image that shows hidden objects."

2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) Agenda Item 1.5

Proposed Use 27.5–29.5 GHz WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.5
1.5 to consider the use of the frequency bands 17.7-19.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 27.5-29.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) by earth stations in motion communicating with geostationary space stations in the fixed-satellite service and take appropriate action, in accordance with Resolution 158 [COM6/17] (WRC-15);

WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.5

Proposed Use 27.5–29.5 GHz WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.5
"to consider the use of the frequency bands 17.7-19.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 27.5-29.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) by earth stations in motion communicating with geostationary space stations in the fixed-satellite service and take appropriate action, in accordance with Resolution COM6/17 (WRC 15)"

Iridium

Current Use 29.1–29.3 GHz Iridium gateway uplinks
Iridium is a mobile-satellite service (MSS) system that was first licensed by the FCC in 1995, and began commercial service in 1998.

Iridium utilizes an FDMA/TDMA Time Division Duplex (TDD) access technology, so that the same frequency band is used for both the user uplink and downlink transmissions, on a time-shared basis. It shares a portion of its spectrum (1617.775-1618.725 MHz) with Globalstar, which has mobile uplinks to its own MSS system in the 1610-1618.725 MHz band.

Each Iridium user uplink/downlink channel has a bandwidth of 31.5 kHz and is separated in frequency by 41.67 kHz to allow for Doppler shift. A single Iridium TDMA frame is 90 ms long, which begins with 22.48 ms guard time, followed by four user uplink and four user donwlink time slots (8.28 ms burst time each, separated by small guard times).

A good discussion of the Iridium system architecture, constellation design, and multi-access scheme can be found in chapter 2 of the thesis by Abdul Jabbar (link below).

In February 2013, Iridium was granted authority by the FCC to provide aeronautical mobile-satellite (route) service (AMS(R)S) in the 1618.725-1626.5 MHz portion of its spectrum, limited to oceanic, polar, and remote regions. According to the FCC, "for purposes of this authorization, we consider oceanic regions to be those beyond 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the coastal states." Authorization for remote areas of other territories is contingent upon completing the agreement-seeking process under 5.367 of the ITU Radio Regulations.

At the end of 2012, Iridium reported approximately 368,000 subscribers. The company plans to launch a new generation of satellites, Iridium Next, beginning in 2015.

Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS)

Current Use 29.1–29.25 GHz LMDS A2 Band
According to the FCC (FCC 15-38):

"In 1997, the Commission developed a band plan making 1,300 megahertz of LMDS spectrum in each basic trading area (BTA) across the United States. Specifically, the Commission allocated two LMDS licenses per BTA -- an "A Block" and a "B Block" in each. The A Block license is comprised of 1,150 megahertz of total bandwidth, and the B Block is comprised of 150 megahertz of total bandwidth...Of the 986 designated license areas (492 BTAs times two licenses per BTA), 416 areas have active licenses, which cover about 75 percent of the U.S. population."

LMDS was originally envisioned as a fixed broadband point-to-multipoint microwave service. LMDS spectrum was auctioned in 1998 and 1999 for a total of approximately $623 million.

In FCC 15-38,the FCC proposed to open the 27.5-28.35 GHz LMDS spectrum for broadband mobile communications. In 2016 the Commission converted licenses for the 27.5 – 28.35 GHz band portion of the A Block to the Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service (UMFUS), and granted mobile rights to the existing licensees.