Band profiles section now includes satellite bands

The bands covered are as follows:

• L-band (1-2 GHz)
• S-band (2-4 GHz)
• C-band (4-8 GHz)
• X-band (8-12 GHz)
• Ku-band (12-18 GHz)
• Ka-band (26-40 GHz)
• E-band (71-86 GHz)

There is an overview summarising the key features of each band and an individual profile of each one.

As the importance of satellite connectivity continues to grow, we felt it was important to include satellite bands as well as mobile bands in our overview of spectrum bands. Over 80% of the agenda at WRC-27The World Radiocommunication Conference (W… is directly or indirectly related to non-geostationary orbit constellations. In some cases, this is because the mobile industry wants access to satellite frequencies.

The S-band is one band currently attracting a great deal of attention, especially in Europe, where regulators are deciding what to do once the current authorisations expire in 2027. The European Commission has proposed breaking the band into three blocks of 10 MHz, with 20 MHz set aside for European companies and one block for governmental users. Needless to say, the big US satellite firms like SpaceX aren’t happy.

In the US, the regulator FCC is considering repurposing part of the upper C-band (3.98–4.2 GHz) for 5G and eventually 6G. Congress has directed the FCC to auction at least 100 MHz of this spectrum by July 2027, and the FCC is considering clearing up to 180 MHz.

This would require satellite operators—primarily SES, following its acquisition of Intelsat—to compress their remaining services into even less spectrum.

The X-band is also of interest to the mobile industry. It is targeting the 7–8 GHz (7.125–8.4 GHz) frequency range as essential mid-band spectrum for future 6G deployments. The claim is that mobile networks need these wider, high-capacity channels to handle the increases in data traffic expected by the 2030s. Agenda Item 1.7 at WRC-27 focuses on the band.

The satellite band profiles are now available to PolicyTracker Spectrum Research Service subscribers.