C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as a range of wavelengths of light, used for communications. The IEEE C band and its variations, in particular, are microwave ranges used for certain satellite television broadcasts, and by some Wi-Fi devices, cordless phones, and weather radars. For satellite communications, the lower frequencies used by C Band perform better under adverse weather conditions than the Ku band or Ka band frequencies.^[1]

NATO C band

The NATO C band is that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between 500 MHz and 1000 MHz.

IEEE C band

The IEEE C band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies ranging from 4 to 8 GHz.^[2].

It was the first frequency band allocated for commercial ground-to-satellite communications. A typical C band satellite uses 3.7?4.2 GHz for downlink, and 5.925?6.425 GHz for uplink. C band is primarily used for open satellite communications, whether for full-time satellite TV networks or raw satellite feeds, although subscription programming also exists. This use contrasts with direct broadcast satellite, which is a completely closed system used to deliver subscription programming to small satellite dishes connected to proprietary receiving equipment.

C band is highly associated with TVRO satellite reception systems, commonly called "big dish" systems since small receiving antennas are not optimal for C-band systems. Typical antenna sizes on C-band capable systems ranges from 7.5 to 12 feet (2.5 to 3.5 meters) on consumer satellite dishes, although larger ones also can be used.

The 5.4GHz band (5.15?5.35/5.47?5.725/5.725?5.875 GHz) is used for IEEE 802.11a Wi-Fi and cordless phone applications, leading to occasional interference with C band weather radars.

C band variants

Slight variations of C band frequencies are approved for use in various parts of the world.

Optical communications C band

C band is also used in optical communications to refer to the wavelength range 1530 nm to 1565 nm.

See also

• Big ugly dish
• Communications satellite
• Satellite dish
• Television receive-only
• 4DTV

Notes

de:Frequenzband es:Banda C fa:???? ?? fr:Bande C id:C-Band pl:Pasmo C pt:Banda C