📡
Frequency
1703 MHz
Frequency
1703 MHz
🧭
Range
1700–1710 MHz
Range
1700–1710 MHz
🧩
Band Group
L-Band MetSat/EESS
Band Group
L-Band MetSat/EESS
🌐 Summary
The 1703 MHz allocation is part of the L-Band MetSat/EESS spectrum. This range is used worldwide for critical applications that keep our communications and infrastructure running smoothly. On this page we highlight how each band is applied in real systems, from regulatory assignments to everyday devices. Our goal is to make spectrum data clear and practical for engineers, regulators, and enthusiasts alike.
Key uses of this band include: 1703 MHz is part of the Earth‑exploration‑satellite downlink segment used for environmental and remote‑sensing data. Signals are space‑to‑Earth and must protect adjacent meteorological‑satellite services below 1700 MHz and mobile allocations above 1710 MHz..
Core GNSS navigation band; critical for global PNT services.
🔍 Explore the full RF Spectrum database
📡 Band & Geometry key
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Wavelength (m) | 0.17603784967704 |
| Waveforms | BPSK(1), BOC(1,1), MBOC – per system specs |
| Antenna Form Factor (Typical) | Passive or active patch (25–35 mm), helical, or chip antenna tuned for ~1575 MHz. |
| Band Family | L‑Band MSS Downlink (1626.5–1660.5 MHz) |
| Band | L‑Band |
| Primary Common Name | Meteorological satellite downlink (weather & Earth observation) |
| FSPL @ 1 km [dB] | 96.3 |
| FSPL @ 10 km [dB] | 116.3 |
| Fresnel Radius @ 1 km (m) | 0.21 |
| Band Group | L-Band MetSat/EESS |
| Tax Band Family | L‑Band |
| Tax Band Class | 1700–1710 MHz L-Band Meteorological and Earth Exploration-Satellite Services (Mobitex) |
🧩 Applications & Usage
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Primary Application | Meteorological satellite downlinks (space-to-Earth); Earth observation data reception |
| Lower Neighbor Use | MetSat segment 1696–1700 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Use | Terrestrial mobile services above 1710 MHz |
| Typical Services Devices | Fixed MetSat/EESS reception earth stations (government/research); no end-user devices |
| Market Common Devices | High-gain L-band receive antennas, SDR/IF receivers, demodulators at weather agencies |
| Refarming Use | Not applicable – protected RNSS band |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Niche (specialized government/research reception infrastructure) |
| Device Hotspots (MHz) | Fixed meteorological satellite earth stations, national weather agency facilities, and research/remote-sensing data ingest sites. No consumer or mobile device hotspots. |
| Device Category | Professional receive infrastructure (fixed earth stations) |
| Typical Use Cases | Positioning, navigation, timing (PNT) for civilian and military systems |
| Modulation (Device) | Mission-specific (varies by satellite program) |
| Channel Width (Device) [kHz] | Mission-specific (varies) |
| Device Region Profiles | Global; concentrated at national meteorological agency sites and satellite downlink stations |
| Per-Region EIRP Or Duty (Device) | N/A – receivers only; no transmit EIRP or duty cycle. |
| Allocation Relevance (Device) | High for MetSat/EESS reception; not relevant for consumer devices |
| Adjacent-Band Collision Risks (Device) | Adjacent terrestrial emissions can desensitize fixed receivers; coordination required |
| Example Devices Or Skus | Ground station L-band receive systems (high-gain dish/helix/LNA + receiver); mission-specific demodulators |
| Common Protocols | Proprietary MSS air interfaces (Iridium, Globalstar) |
🗒️ Notes
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Receiver Selectivity Notes | High selectivity (≥60 dB rejection across 1559–1610 MHz) |
| Interference Notes | Receive-only band segment used for weather/Earth-observation downlinks. Out-of-band emissions must be tightly controlled to protect sensitive earth-station receivers; coordination requirements may apply near earth-station sites. |
| Compatibility Risk Notes | 0 |
| Notes | Core GNSS navigation band; critical for global PNT services. |
| Propagation Notes | Free-space propagation dominated; global satellite visibility required |
⚙️ Technical Rules
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Lower Band Frequency Limit | 1700 |
| Upper Band Frequency Limit | 1710 |
| EIRP Indoor Limits | Not applicable – receive-only band |
| EIRP Outdoor Limits | Not applicable – receive-only band |
| PSD Limit | Not applicable – receive-only band |
| Emission Mask Class | Strict spectral mask / coordination near MetSat/EESS earth stations |
| Guardband Minimum [kHz] | N/A – receive-only band |
| Typical Bandwidths | 12.5 kHz–5 MHz (system‑dependent) |
| Autocalculated Bandlimits | 0 |
| Typical Bandwidths (Estimated) | 12.5 kHz–5 MHz (system‑dependent) |
| Max EIRP [dBm] | N/A – receivers only; no transmit EIRP or duty cycle. |
| Power Source Or Duty Profile (Typical) | Receiver‑side only; duty driven by application (tracking vs. timing holdover). |
| Channelization Plan | Defined by each GNSS constellation (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou) |
| Channelization | Continuous navigation carrier signals (BPSK, BOC, MBOC) |
| Guard Band Requirement | Strict emission masks to protect adjacent RNSS signals |
| OOB Emission Limit [dBm/MHz] | Strict out-of-band emission control required to protect sensitive MetSat/EESS earth-station receivers (receive-only). |
| Spurious Emission Limit (dBm) | Spurious emissions must be minimized; coordinate and comply with national spectral masks to protect MetSat/EESS reception. |
| RX Blocking Min [dBm] | N/A – passive receiver |
| Duplexing | Downlink (space‑to‑Earth) |
| Duplexing Information | Downlink (space‑to‑Earth) |
| Uplink Pairing | Not applicable – unpaired downlink only (space-to-Earth) |
| Downlink Pairing | Not applicable – unpaired downlink only (space-to-Earth) |
| Paired Band Info | Unpaired receive/downlink segment (MetSat/EESS). |
| Max EIRP [dBm] | N/A – receive-only band |
| Channelization Block Size | Operator carriers (kHz–MHz) |
| 3GPP Band Number | |
| Example 3GPP Bands | Not applicable – no 3GPP/LTE/NR band association |
| LTE Uplink Bands | Not applicable – no 3GPP/LTE/NR band association |
| LTE Downlink Bands | Not applicable – no 3GPP/LTE/NR band association |
| NR Uplink Bands | Not applicable – no 3GPP/LTE/NR band association |
| NR Downlink Bands | Not applicable – no 3GPP/LTE/NR band association |
| Guard Bands | Protect adjacent allocations via strict OOBE control; coordination near MetSat/EESS earth stations. |
| Protocol Or Standard | Mission-specific satellite downlink waveforms (not standardized consumer protocols) |
🌎 Country Overrides
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Tax Service Category | Earth Observation / Weather Satellite |
| Tax License Type | Licensed / protected (receive earth stations; coordinated) |
| Tax Regions | Global (ITU Regions 1–3) |
| ITU Region 1 (Europe, Africa, Middle East (west of Persian Gulf), Western Russia & Mongolia) | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| ITU Region 2 (North America, South America, Central America, Caribbean, Greenland, Eastern Pacific Islands (Americas region)) | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| ITU Region 3 (Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, Oceania, Indian Subcontinent, East Asia & Southeast Asia) | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| License Type | Licensed / coordinated (region‑specific) |
| Primary Application | Meteorological satellite downlinks (space-to-Earth); Earth observation data reception |
| Primary Services | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| Spurious Emission [dBm] | Spurious emissions must be minimized; coordinate and comply with national spectral masks to protect MetSat/EESS reception. |
| Lower Neighbor Use | MetSat segment 1696–1700 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Use | Terrestrial mobile services above 1710 MHz |
| Licensing Model | ITU‑coordinated; operator licenses |
| Typical Services Devices | Fixed MetSat/EESS reception earth stations (government/research); no end-user devices |
| US FCC Alloc | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth)– |
| CA IC Alloc | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth)– |
| UK Ofcom Alloc | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth)– |
| US Ref | FCC Table of Frequency Allocations (MetSat/EESS s-to-E) + earth-station coordination guidance |
| Typical Bandwidths | 12.5 kHz–5 MHz (system‑dependent) |
| Market Licensing Model | Licensed spectrum – coordinated via ITU / satellite operator agreements |
| Market Common Devices | High-gain L-band receive antennas, SDR/IF receivers, demodulators at weather agencies |
| Fresnel Radius (1st, 1 km) [m] | 0.21 |
| Typical Bandwidths (Estimated) | 12.5 kHz–5 MHz (system‑dependent) |
| Auction Status | Not auctioned – globally allocated to RNSS |
| Refarming Use | Not applicable – protected RNSS band |
| Typical Site Spacing km | N/A – space segment with global footprint. / N/A – space segment with global footprint. |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Niche (specialized government/research reception infrastructure) |
| Traffic Load Share | N/A – receive-only service |
| Device Hotspots (MHz) | Fixed meteorological satellite earth stations, national weather agency facilities, and research/remote-sensing data ingest sites. No consumer or mobile device hotspots. |
| Device Category | Professional receive infrastructure (fixed earth stations) |
| Typical Use Cases | Positioning, navigation, timing (PNT) for civilian and military systems |
| Typical Center Frequencies [MHz] | 1561.098, 1575.42, 1602 |
| Rule Part (Fcc Or Region) | National table allocations & earth-station coordination rules (FCC/ISED/Ofcom + ITU RR) |
| Modulation (Device) | Mission-specific (varies by satellite program) |
| Channel Width (Device) [kHz] | Mission-specific (varies) |
| Device Region Profiles | Global; concentrated at national meteorological agency sites and satellite downlink stations |
| Per-Region EIRP Or Duty (Device) | N/A – receivers only; no transmit EIRP or duty cycle. |
| Allocation Relevance (Device) | High for MetSat/EESS reception; not relevant for consumer devices |
| Adjacent-Band Collision Risks (Device) | Adjacent terrestrial emissions can desensitize fixed receivers; coordination required |
| Example Devices Or Skus | Ground station L-band receive systems (high-gain dish/helix/LNA + receiver); mission-specific demodulators |
| Antenna Form Factor (Typical) | Passive or active patch (25–35 mm), helical, or chip antenna tuned for ~1575 MHz. |
| Power Source Or Duty Profile (Typical) | Receiver‑side only; duty driven by application (tracking vs. timing holdover). |
🛡️ Regulatory & Neighbors
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Lower Band Frequency Limit | 1700 |
| Upper Band Frequency Limit | 1710 |
| Rx Blocking Min dBm | N/A – passive receiver |
| Lower Neighbor Use | MetSat segment 1696–1700 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Use | Terrestrial mobile services above 1710 MHz |
| Lower Neighbor Band | MetSat DL |
| Lower Neighbor Range | 1696–1700 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Label | Terrestrial Mobile |
| Upper Neighbor Range | 1710–1780 MHz (mobile uplink in many regions) |
| Adjacent-Band Collision Risks (Device) | Adjacent terrestrial emissions can desensitize fixed receivers; coordination required |
| Real-World Range (Indoor/Outdoor) | N/A (receive-only fixed earth stations; not a consumer coverage band) |
| US FCC Alloc | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth)MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| CA IC Alloc | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth)MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| UK Ofcom Alloc | MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth)MetSat (space-to-Earth) / EESS (space-to-Earth) |
| Regulatory References | US: FCC Table of Frequency Allocations (MetSat/EESS s-to-E) + earth-station coordination guidance; CA: ISED spectrum standards referencing 1700–1710 MHz MetSat earth stations + national table; UK: Ofcom UK Frequency Allocation Table: MetSat (space-to-Earth) in 1700–1710 MHz |
| Global Harmonization | Fully global (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou) |
| Crossborder Coordination | None required – international GNSS spectrum coordination under ITU-R |
| Sharing Mechanism | Passive coexistence only; no active sharing permitted |
| Auction Status | Not auctioned – globally allocated to RNSS |
| Guard Or Pair | Unpaired (downlink/receive segment); no consumer pairing |
📈 Market & Measurements
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Noise Floor | Satellite downlink (space-to-Earth); GEO/MEO/LEO systems |
| Interference Cases | Harmful interference risk is primarily from high-power adjacent-band terrestrial transmitters and out-of-band emissions. Protect fixed MetSat/EESS receivers; maintain strict spectral masks and coordination near earth stations. |
| Lower Neighbor Range | 1696–1700 MHz |
| Upper Neighbor Range | 1710–1780 MHz (mobile uplink in many regions) |
| Interference Notes | Receive-only band segment used for weather/Earth-observation downlinks. Out-of-band emissions must be tightly controlled to protect sensitive earth-station receivers; coordination requirements may apply near earth-station sites. |
| Market Licensing Model | Licensed spectrum – coordinated via ITU / satellite operator agreements |
| Market Commercial Value | High societal value (forecasting & safety); limited commercial device market |
| Market Common Devices | High-gain L-band receive antennas, SDR/IF receivers, demodulators at weather agencies |
| Market Deployment Density | Medium – global satellite coverage |
| Noise Floor (Estimated) | Satellite downlink (space-to-Earth); GEO/MEO/LEO systems |
| Market Commercial Value (Estimated) | High societal value (forecasting & safety); limited commercial device market |
| Ecosystem Maturity | Fully mature global ecosystem (>10B receivers) |
| Indoor Penetration | Weak; GNSS signals ~−130 dBm require outdoor or assisted GNSS |
| Known Interference | Vulnerable to jamming/spoofing; mitigation via multi-GNSS and SAASM/RTK |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Niche (specialized government/research reception infrastructure) |
| Real-World Range (Indoor/Outdoor) | N/A (receive-only fixed earth stations; not a consumer coverage band) |
| Antenna Form Factor (Typical) | Passive or active patch (25–35 mm), helical, or chip antenna tuned for ~1575 MHz. |
| Ecosystem Maturity | Fully mature global ecosystem (>10B receivers) |
| Device Ecosystem Size | Niche (specialized government/research reception infrastructure) |
| Chipset Availability | Universal; all modern chipsets support multi-GNSS L1/E1 |
| Operator Deployments | Global constellation operators (US, EU, Russia, China, Japan, India) |
| Technology Generations Deployed | GPS L1 C/A, Galileo E1 OS, GLONASS G1, BeiDou B1I/B1C |
| Roaming Support | Universal cross-system compatibility via multi-GNSS receivers |
| Traffic Load Share | N/A – receive-only service |
| Indoor Penetration | Weak; GNSS signals ~−130 dBm require outdoor or assisted GNSS |
| Known Interference | Vulnerable to jamming/spoofing; mitigation via multi-GNSS and SAASM/RTK |
| Occupancy | High (operational weather/Earth-observation downlink usage at authorized reception sites) |
| Occupancy Bucket Pct | >95% global utilization (GNSS receivers ubiquitous) |
| Latency Profile | Deterministic; satellite signal propagation delay ~67 ms (20,200 km) |
| Common Channels Or Profiles | N/A (no public channel plan; mission/operator specific) |
| Security Features | Operational / mission-controlled (not consumer security features) |
| Lbt Or Fhss Requirement | N/A (not an unlicensed band; no LBT/FHSS requirement) |
| Popularity (Installed Base) | Extremely high – billions of active receivers worldwide. |
| Coexistence Tips | Add pre‑selector/SAW filters; ensure antenna clear sky view; mitigate jammers/spoofers; multi‑GNSS fusion and carrier‑phase techniques (RTK/PPP) for resilience. |
| Latency Class | Initial TTFF: ~1–30 s (cold‑start); steady‑state navigation latency <1 s. |
| Device Hotspots (Scoped && Tagged) | Fixed meteorological satellite earth stations, national weather agency facilities, and research/remote-sensing data ingest sites. No consumer or mobile device hotspots. |