radio spectrum
termnetworking
The range of electromagnetic frequencies used for radio, conventionally divided into bands from VLF to EHF.
One trade governs the whole thing: low frequencies travel far and carry little, high frequencies carry enormous amounts and stop at the first obstacle. Long wavelengths diffract around terrain and buildings, short ones behave increasingly like light, and available bandwidth scales with frequency. Every allocation decision, from submarine communications at a few kilohertz to millimetre-wave 5G, is a position taken on that single trade.
Also known as: frequency bands, spectrum allocation