Wavebands, general bandplan overview

This is a general overview of how the radio frequency spectrum is divided up and the various purposes to which it is put. You will observe that there is significant overlap. That is because there are various ways to categorise its usage.

Band Name	Band Abbreviation	Lower	Upper	Band classification	Modulation	Comments
Band I	Band1	47.0000	68.0000	allocation		ITU Region 1 VHF broadcast Band I.
Band II	Band2	87.5000	108.0000	allocation		ITU Region 1 VHF broadcast Band II; includes the UK VHF FM broadcasting band.
Band III	Band3	174.0000	230.0000	allocation		ITU Region 1 VHF broadcast Band III; used in the UK for DAB and historically for television.
Band IV	Band4	470.0000	582.0000	allocation		ITU Region 1 UHF broadcast Band IV.
Band V	Band5	582.0000	960.0000	allocation		ITU Region 1 UHF broadcast Band V. UK terrestrial television currently occupies only part of this range.
Long Wave	LW	0.1485	0.2835	broadcast		Long Wave broadcast band; ITU Region 1.
Medium Wave	MW	0.5265	1.6065	broadcast		Medium Wave broadcast band; ITU Region 1.
Short Wave	SW	2.3000	26.1000	broadcast		Short Wave broadcast spectrum; includes the international broadcast bands.
VHF FM	VHF_FM	87.5000	108.0000	broadcast	WFM	VHF FM sound broadcasting; UK/ITU Region 1.
Rowridge	rowridge	87.5000	108.0000	custom	WFM	Custom staion list. Radio stations served by Rowridge transmitter in the South of England. Search query uses "Rowridge" as keyword, even though some transmissions may actually come from elsewhere.
2190 metre Amateur	2190m	0.1357	0.1378	ham		UK amateur radio allocation: 135.7–137.8 kHz. Narrowband operation; current RSGB UK band plan.
630 metre Amateur	630m	0.4720	0.4790	ham		UK amateur radio allocation: 472–479 kHz. Full Licence operation; current RSGB UK band plan.
160 metre Amateur	160m	1.8100	2.0000	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 1.810–2.000 MHz.
80 metre Amateur	80m	3.5000	3.8000	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 3.500–3.800 MHz.
40 metre Amateur	40m	7.0000	7.2000	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 7.000–7.200 MHz.
30 metre Amateur	30m	10.1000	10.1500	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 10.100–10.150 MHz.
20 metre Amateur	20m	14.0000	14.3500	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 14.000–14.350 MHz.
17 metre Amateur	17m	18.0680	18.1680	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 18.068–18.168 MHz.
15 metre Amateur	15m	21.0000	21.4500	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 21.000–21.450 MHz.
12 metre Amateur	12m	24.8900	24.9900	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 24.890–24.990 MHz.
10 metre Amateur	10m	28.0000	29.7000	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB January 2026 band plan: 28.000–29.700 MHz.
6 metre Amateur	6m	50.0000	52.0000	ham		UK amateur radio band. RSGB UK band plan. Additional spectrum above 52 MHz may be available to UK amateurs under specific arrangements; this record represents the principal 50–52 MHz band.
4 metre Amateur	4m	70.0000	70.5000	ham		UK amateur radio band. Principal UK allocation: 70.000–70.500 MHz. Additional access to 70.5–71.5 MHz is subject to specific UK NoV arrangements.
2 metre Amateur	2m	144.0000	146.0000	ham		UK amateur radio band. Principal allocation: 144–146 MHz. Additional UK access to 146–147 MHz is subject to specific arrangements.
70 centimetre Amateur	70cm	430.0000	440.0000	ham		UK amateur radio band: 430–440 MHz.
120 metre Shortwave	120m	2.3000	2.4950	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU Region 1 allocation: 2300–2495 kHz; use of this band is subject to the relevant ITU provisions.
90 metre Shortwave	90m	3.2000	3.4000	metre	AM	Shortwave broadcasting band. Primarily associated with tropical-zone/national broadcasting allocations rather than European international broadcasting.
75 metre Shortwave	75m	3.9500	4.0000	metre	AM	Shortwave broadcasting band. ITU Region 1 allocation: 3950–4000 kHz.
60 metre Shortwave	60m	4.7500	4.9950	metre	AM	Shortwave broadcasting band. ITU allocation: 4750–4995 kHz; principally associated with tropical-zone/national broadcasting.
49 metre Shortwave	49m	5.9000	6.2000	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 5900–6200 kHz.
41 metre Shortwave	41m	7.2000	7.4500	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU Region 1 allocation spans 7200–7450 kHz, with regional allocation differences within the band.
31 metre Shortwave	31m	9.4000	9.9000	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 9400–9900 kHz.
25 metre Shortwave	25m	11.6000	12.1000	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 11600–12100 kHz.
22 metre Shortwave	22m	13.5700	13.8700	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 13570–13870 kHz.
19 metre Shortwave	19m	15.1000	15.8000	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 15100–15800 kHz.
16 metre Shortwave	16m	17.4800	17.9000	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 17480–17900 kHz.
15 metre Shortwave	15m	18.9000	19.0200	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 18900–19020 kHz.
13 metre Shortwave	13m	21.4500	21.8500	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 21450–21850 kHz.
11 metre Shortwave	11m	25.6700	26.1000	metre	AM	International shortwave broadcasting band. ITU international broadcasting allocation: 25670–26100 kHz.
Citizens Band CEPT / EU	CB_EU	26.9600	27.4100	special	NFM	CEPT/EU Citizens Band allocation. UK equipment may also use the CEPT/EU channels subject to the applicable UK requirements.
Citizens Band UK	CB_UK	27.6013	27.9913	special	NFM	UK Citizens Band. Includes the UK 40-channel allocation at 27.60125–27.99125 MHz. UK CB also permits use of the CEPT/EU 40-channel allocation.
Airband	Airband	118.0000	137.0000	special	AM	VHF aeronautical communications band. 118–137 MHz is used for civil aviation voice communications and associated aeronautical services.
UK Wireless Microphone VHF	WM_UK	175.2500	209.8000	special	WFM	Ofcom; UK Wireless Microphone Licence; 15 shared spot frequencies; 200 kHz RF bandwidth; 175.250 and 175.525 MHz not available in Northern Ireland
PMR446	PMR446	446.0000	446.2000	special	NFM	Licence-exempt short-range personal/mobile radio service. UK PMR446 uses the 446.0–446.2 MHz band for compliant analogue and digital equipment.
Low Frequency	LF	0.0300	0.3000	spectrum		ITU radio spectrum band: 30–300 kHz.
Medium Frequency	MF	0.3000	3.0000	spectrum		ITU radio spectrum band: 300 kHz–3 MHz.
High Frequency	HF	3.0000	30.0000	spectrum		ITU radio spectrum band: 3–30 MHz.
Very High Frequency	VHF	30.0000	300.0000	spectrum		ITU radio spectrum band: 30–300 MHz.
Ultra High Frequency	UHF	300.0000	3000.0000	spectrum		ITU radio spectrum band: 300 MHz–3 GHz.
Super High Frequency	SHF	3000.0000	30000.0000	spectrum		ITU radio spectrum band: 3–30 GHz.

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