Millimeter Wave Frequencies

Millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies refer to radio signals with wavelengths of between 1 and 10 millimeters. These are typically the signals within the 30 GHz and 300 GHz of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

mmWave frequencies are designated the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) band by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

ITU radio frequency band designations

At these frequencies, radio signals usually attenuate faster with increase in distance from the source. As such antennas that directional antennas are more practical within this frequency band. 

While this might seem like a major disadvantage in many applications, it makes up for this by allowing the reuse of frequencies within a relatively short distance (beamforming). In turn, this allows for a high concentration of transmitters within a small geographical area. 

mmWave has a number of applications, including in aerospace radar technology, where it’s used to determine the distance to an object, and to measure the relative velocity of a target. 

mmWave frequencies are also used in security scanners where they offer high-precision scans through thousands of transmit and receive antennas that work together. 

These scanners typically transmit within 70 GHz and 80 GHz frequency bands and emit about 1 mW of power. 

However, the most popular application of mmWave is in communication. Specifically the deployment of 5G technology. Thanks to its low latency, spatial reuse, and multi-antenna beamforming, mmWave facilitates the delivery of high bandwidth speeds of 5G.

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Example of Millimeter Wave Frequencies in a sentence

"Millimeter wave frequencies have low latency, which makes them ideal for applications that require high bandwidth."

Synonyms: mmWave

Related Terms for Millimeter Wave Frequencies

• Attenuation
• Beamforming
• 5G Standalone