Back when radar was young (e.g., World War Two), the military devised a set of band designations for microwaves. I believe there is now an IEEE standard for these designations, but I don't know its number (I think it's specific to radar applications).
DESIGNATION |
|
| L-Band | 1-2 GHz or 15-30 cm wavelength. |
| S-Band | 2-4 GHz or 8-15 cm wavelength. |
| C-Band | 4-8 GHz or 4-8 cm wavelength. |
| X-Band | 8-12 GHz or 2.5-4 cm wavelength. |
| K-Band | 12-18 and 27-40 GHz or 1.7-2.5 and .75-1.2 cm wavelength. |
| Ku-Band | 12-18 GHz or 1.7-2.5 cm wavelength |
| Ka-Band | 27-40 GHz or .75-1.2 cm wavelength. |
| V-Band | 40-75 GHz |
| W-Band | 75-110 GHz |
| mm-Band | 110-300 GHz |
| u mm-Band | 300-3,000 GHz |
The K-band is actually split into two bands by a strong water vapor absorption line.
If you'd like more information on how these bands are used by weather radar, check out the Weather Radar FAQ at The MIT Weather Radar Laboratory.
Here are the band designations commonly used for various satellite television systems.
| S-Band | 1700-3000 MHz |
| C-Band | 3700-4200 MHz |
| Ku1-Band | 10.9-11.75 GHz |
| Ku2-Band | 11.75-12.5 GHz (DBS) |
| Ku3-Band | 12.5-12.75 GHz |
| Ka-Band | 18.0-20.0 GHz |
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