A bandplan or band plan is a plan

Plan

A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with timing and resources, used to achieve an objective. See also strategy. It is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions, through which one expects to achieve a goal...

 for using a particular band of radio frequencies, that are a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum

Electromagnetic spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....

 . Each bandplan defines the frequency range to be included, how channels

Channel (communications)

In telecommunications and computer networking, a communication channel, or channel, refers either to a physical transmission medium such as a wire, or to a logical connection over a multiplexed medium such as a radio channel...

 are to be defined, and what will be carried on those channels. Typical definitions set forth in a bandplan are:

• numbering scheme
  Numbering scheme
  There are many different numbering schemes for assigning nominal numbers to entities. These generally require an agreed set of rules, or a central coordinator. The schemes can be considered to be examples of a primary key of a database management system table, whose table definitions require a...
  
   - which channel numbers or letters (if any) will be assigned
• center frequencies - how far apart the carrier wave
  Carrier wave
  In telecommunications, a carrier wave or carrier is a waveform that is modulated with an input signal for the purpose of conveying information. This carrier wave is usually a much higher frequency than the input signal...
  
   for each channel will be
• bandwidth and/or deviation
  Frequency deviation
  Frequency deviation is used in FM radio to describe the maximum instantaneous difference between an FM modulated frequency and the nominal carrier frequency...
  
   - how wide each channel will be
• spectral mask
  Spectral mask
  In telecommunications, a spectral mask, also known as a channel mask or transmission mask, is a mathematically-defined set of lines applied to the levels of radio transmissions. The spectral mask is generally intended to reduce adjacent-channel interference by limiting excessive radiation at...
  
   - how extraneous signals will be attenuated by frequency
• modulation
  Modulation
  In electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a high-frequency periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with a modulating signal which typically contains information to be transmitted...
  
   - what type will be used or are permissible
• content - what types of information are allowed, such as audio
  Sound
  Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
  
   or video
  Video
  Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
  
  , analog or digital
  Digital
  A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
  
  
• licensing - what the procedure will be to obtain a broadcast license
  Broadcast license
  A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
  
  

The actual authorized frequency bands are defined by the ITU

Itu

Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...

 and the local regulating agencies like the Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 (FCC) in the USA. For the authorized frequency bands for amateur radio use see: Authorized frequency bands.

See also

• AM broadcast band
• Amateur radio frequency allocations
  Amateur radio frequency allocations
  Amateur radio frequency allocation is done by national telecommunications authorities. Globally, the International Telecommunication Union oversees how much radio spectrum is set aside for amateur radio transmissions...
  
  
• Broadcast radio
• Broadcasting
  Broadcasting
  Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
  
  
• Cellular frequencies
  Cellular frequencies
  All cellular phone networks worldwide use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum designated as ultra high frequency, or "UHF", for the transmission and reception of their signals. The ultra high frequency band is also shared with television, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transmission...
  
  
• FM broadcast band
  FM broadcast band
  The FM broadcast band, used for FM broadcast radio by radio stations, differs between different parts of the world. In Europe and Africa , it spans from 87.5 to 108.0 megahertz , while in America it goes only from 88.0 to 108.0 MHz. The FM broadcast band in Japan uses 76.0 to 90 MHz...
  
  
• Frequency allocation
  Frequency allocation
  Use of radio frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum is regulated by governments in most countries, in a Spectrum management process known as frequency allocation or spectrum allocation. Radio propagation does not stop at national boundaries...
  
  
• Ham radio