Ku band
The Ku band is a microwave frequency band that lies below the K band in the frequency range between 10.7 GHz and 17.5 GHz. The wavelength range is between 2.5 cm and 1.7 cm and belongs to the centimeter waves. This frequency band is specified by the ITU and used for satellite communications.
In the older German nomenclature, the frequency range for the Ku band is below that specified by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In the European frequency band nomenclature, there is only the K band, not the Ku band. The designation "u" stands for "below" and is intended to indicate that the Ku band is directly below the K band. The frequency specifications for the microwave frequency bands are not standardized and vary considerably depending on the application.
The Ku band is used in satellite communications for the uplink in the frequency band between 14 GHz and 17.5 GHz and for the downlink in the frequency band between 10.7 GHz and 12.75 GHz. Subbands of the Ku band are used by Fixed Satellite Services( FSS) and Broadcast Satellite Services( BSS). The frequency range of the FSS band is from 10.7 GHz to 11.7 GHz, which is the Low Band. That of the BSS band from 11.7 GHz to 12.5 GHz. This frequency range is referred to as the High Band.
For all satellite broadcast services operating via geostationary communications satellites, the uplink and downlink are in the Ku band. The best-known services include digital TV via DVB-S, and communications satellites transmitting in the Ku band include the German Telecommunications Satellite, Astra and Eutelsat. The uplink and downlink frequencies are received using parabolic antennas, and frequency conversion takes place in the LNC converter or LNB converter. These converters are located directly in front of the parabolic reflector.