Frequency allocation (or spectrum allocation) is the part of

spectrum management Spectrum management is the process of regulating the use of radio frequencies to promote efficient use and gain a net social benefit.Martin Cave, Chris Doyle, William Webb, ''Modern Spectrum Management'', Cambridge University Press, 2007 The ter ...

dealing with the designation and regulation of the

electromagnetic spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum is the full range of electromagnetic radiation, organized by frequency or wavelength. The spectrum is divided into separate bands, with different names for the electromagnetic waves within each band. From low to high ...

into

frequency bands Spectral bands are regions of a given spectrum, having a specific range of wavelengths or frequencies. Most often, it refers to electromagnetic bands, regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. More generally, spectral bands may also be means in ...

, normally done by governments in most countries. Because

radio propagation Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves as they travel, or are wave propagation, propagated, from one point to another in vacuum, or into various parts of the atmosphere. As a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light waves, radio w ...

does not stop at national boundaries, governments have sought to harmonise the allocation of RF bands and their standardization.

ITU definition

The

International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)In the other common languages of the ITU: * * is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information ...

defines frequency allocation as being of "a given

frequency band Spectral bands are regions of a given spectrum, having a specific range of wavelengths or frequencies. Most often, it refers to electromagnetic bands, regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. More generally, spectral bands may also be means in ...

for the purpose of its use by one or more terrestrial or space radiocommunication services or the radio astronomy service under specified conditions".ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems – Article 1.16, definition: allocation (of a frequency band). ''Frequency allocation'' is also a special term, used in national

frequency administration Spectrum management is the process of regulating the use of radio frequencies to promote efficient use and gain a net social benefit.Martin Cave, Chris Doyle, William Webb, ''Modern Spectrum Management'', Cambridge University Press, 2007 The ter ...

. Other terms are:

Bodies

Several bodies set standards for frequency allocation, including: *

(ITU) *

European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) was established on 26 June 1959 by nineteen European states in Montreux, Switzerland, as a coordinating body for European state telecommunications and postal orga ...

(CEPT) *

Inter-American Telecommunication Commission The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission or ''Comisión Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones'' (CITEL) is an entity of the Organization of American States. It was originally created as the Inter-American Electrical Communication Commissio ...

(CITEL) To improve harmonisation in spectrum utilisation, most service allocations are incorporated in national Tables of Frequency Allocations and Utilisations within the responsibility of the appropriate national administration. Allocations are: * primary * secondary * exclusive or shared utilization, within the responsibility of national administrations. Allocations of military usage will be in accordance with the ITU Radio Regulations. In NATO countries, military mobile utilizations are made in accordance with the

NATO Joint Civil/Military Frequency Agreement __NOTOC__ The NATO Joint Civil/Military Frequency Agreement (NJFA) is the universal NATO common civil/military treaty to regulate the military access to the radio frequency spectrum in the range of 14 kHz to 100 GHz in peacetime, during ...

(NJFA).

Examples

Some of the bands listed (e.g., amateur 1.8–29.7 MHz) have gaps / are not continuous allocations. * BCB is an abbreviation for

broadcast band A broadcast band is a segment of the radio spectrum used for broadcasting. See also * North American broadcast television frequencies * AM broadcasting * FM broadcasting * Dead air * Internet radio * Radio network * Music radio * Old-time radio ...

, for commercial radio news and music broadcasts.

References

External links

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

ITU Radio Regulations - Volume 1 (Article 5)
international table of frequency allocation by

ITU Region The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in its International Radio Regulations, divides the world into three ITU regions for the purposes of managing the global radio spectrum. Each region has its own set of frequency allocations, the ma ...

. Alternative a
ITU persistent link
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frequency allocation Broadcast engineering Radio resource management Radio spectrum