What are L and S band frequencies?

In radio and GNSS context, L band and S band refer to specific microwave frequency ranges defined by the IEEE.

L band

• Frequency range: roughly 1–2 GHz in the microwave spectrum.news.sparkfun​

• In GNSS use, most navigation signals called “L1, L2, L5” sit in two key L‑band slices:

  • Lower L band: about 1164–1300 MHz (e.g., GPS L5 at 1176.45 MHz, GPS L2 at 1227.6 MHz).novatel+1​

  • Upper L band: about 1559–1610 MHz (e.g., GPS L1 at 1575.42 MHz).everythingrf+1​

So when documentation says “L-band GNSS,” it usually means signals around roughly 1.1–1.6 GHz, all of which fall within the broader 1–2 GHz L band range.wikipedia+1​

S band

• Frequency range: roughly 2–4 GHz in the microwave spectrum.news.sparkfun​

• S band is widely used for satellite telemetry, some radar and weather radar, and certain communications links, but GNSS navigation signals themselves are not in S band; they sit in L band, while some augmentation or telemetry services may use S-band links.news.sparkfun​

So in short:

• L band ≈ 1–2 GHz (GNSS lives here).

• S band ≈ 2–4 GHz (telemetry, radar, comms, but not core GNSS signals).u-blox+1​

1. https://www.everythingrf.com/community/what-is-the-gps-l1-band
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L_band
3. https://gnss.store/en/blog/post/l1-l2-l5-l3-and-simply-l-frequency-bands.html
4. https://novatel.com/support/known-solutions/gnss-frequencies-and-signals
5. https://www.taoglas.com/blogs/how-to-leverage-the-l-band-to-balance-accuracy-and-affordability-for-gnss-applications/
6. https://news.sparkfun.com/8954
7. https://content.u-blox.com/sites/default/files/documents/GPS-signals-migration-wp.pdf
8. https://gssc.esa.int/navipedia/index.php/GPS_Signal_Plan
9. https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/time-frequency-z/time-and-frequency-z-g
10. https://veripos.com/support/glossary/l1-frequency-band