Physics > Radio Frequencies (RF)
This page shows the most commonly separated bands of radio frequencies and their uses in communication and devices. At the bottom of the page are a list of bands of broadcast frequencies and their common descriptions.
Radio frequency (RF) refers to the part of the electromagnetic spectrum in which electromagnetic waves can be generated by alternating current and fed to an antenna.
| Band name |
Abbr |
ITU band |
Frequency
Wavelength |
Example uses |
| |
|
|
< 3 Hz
> 100,000 km |
|
| Extremely low frequency |
ELF |
1 |
3–30 Hz
100,000 km – 10,000 km |
Communication with submarines |
| Super low frequency |
SLF |
2 |
30–300 Hz
10,000 km – 1000 km |
Communication with submarines |
| Ultra low frequency |
ULF |
3 |
300–3000 Hz
1000 km – 100 km |
Communication within mines |
| Very low frequency |
VLF |
4 |
3–30 kHz
100 km – 10 km |
Submarine communication, avalanche beacons, wireless heart rate monitors, geophysics |
| Low frequency |
LF |
5 |
30–300 kHz
10 km – 1 km |
Navigation, time signals, AM long wave broadcasting |
| Medium frequency |
MF |
6 |
300–3000 kHz
1 km – 100 m |
AM (Medium-wave) broadcasts |
| High frequency |
HF |
7 |
3–30 MHz
100 m – 10 m |
Shortwave broadcasts, amateur radio |
| Very high frequency |
VHF |
8 |
30–300 MHz
10 m – 1 m |
FM, television broadcasts and line-of-sight ground-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-aircraft communications |
| Ultra high frequency |
UHF |
9 |
300–3000 MHz
1 m – 100 mm |
television broadcasts, mobile phones, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and Two-Way Radios such as FRS and GMRS Radios |
| Super high frequency |
SHF |
10 |
3–30 GHz
100 mm – 10 mm |
microwave devices, wireless LAN, most modern Radars |
| Extremely high frequency |
EHF |
11 |
30–300 GHz
10 mm – 1 mm |
Radio astronomy, high-speed microwave radio relay |
| |
|
|
Above 300 GHz
< 1 mm |
|
The following are example bands of broadcast frequencies:
- Longwave AM Radio = 150kHz - 280kHz (LF)
- Mediumwave AM Radio = 530kHz - 1610kHz (MF)
- TV Band I (Channels 2 - 6) = 54MHz - 88MHz (VHF)
- FM Radio Band II = 88MHz - 108MHz (VHF)
- TV Band III (Channels 7 - 13) = 174MHz - 216MHz (VHF)
- TV Bands IV & V (Channels 14 - 69) = 470MHz - 806MHz (UHF)