Glossary of services and frequency bands for professional antennas

How to use this glossary

This glossary summarises the main services and frequency bands covered by PROTEL antennas for professional and institutional customers. The goal is not to provide an exhaustive regulatory list, but to offer a clear technical overview of the ranges most commonly used in real projects: broadcast, PMR and public safety, mobile networks, railway systems, transport corridors, tunnels and measurement applications.

Frequency allocations and channel plans may change from country to country. The descriptions below follow typical usage in Europe and other regions where PROTEL antennas are installed, such as the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, North and South America.

Main frequency bands

HF and low VHF (2-87 MHz)

In this range PROTEL supplies mainly HF and low-VHF antennas for long-distance links, regional coverage and monitoring. Typical applications include:

Long-range HF communication for governmental, defence, civil protection and utility networks.
Monitoring and spectrum surveillance in HF and low-VHF bands.
Base stations and fixed links where ionospheric propagation (skywave, NVIS) is required.

VHF broadcast FM (87.5-108 MHz)

The 87.5-108 MHz band is used worldwide for FM broadcast radio. PROTEL antennas in this range are installed in:

FM broadcast networks, from local stations up to large regional networks.
Rebroadcast and gap-filler stations in complex coverage areas.
Monitoring and field strength measurement systems for FM services.

VHF air band and VHF DAB (108-300 MHz)

The 108-300 MHz range includes two important families of services:

VHF air band (around 118-137 MHz) used for aeronautical communications between aircraft and ground stations, towers, approach and en-route services.
DAB digital radio in VHF band III (around 174-240 MHz), used in many European and international markets for digital audio broadcasting and data services.

PROTEL antennas in this range are used for air-band communications at airports and along air routes, as well as for DAB broadcast, rebroadcast and monitoring installations.

UHF bands 300-870 MHz (PMR, TETRA, broadcasting)

The 300-870 MHz range is used for several professional and broadcast services, including:

PMR and public safety systems in UHF bands for utilities, industries and public agencies.
TETRA and TETRAPOL digital trunked radio systems for police, fire brigades, emergency services and critical communications.
UHF TV broadcast in countries where digital TV is still allocated in this range.

PROTEL offers directional and omnidirectional antennas for base stations, repeaters, tower sites and tunnel coverage for these services.

Mobile bands 690-915 MHz

The 690-915 MHz range covers low mobile bands used for:

GSM and LTE carriers around 700, 800 and 900 MHz.
5G NR low bands in the 700-800 MHz region in many countries.
Complementary and refarmed allocations for mobile operators in different regions.

These bands are typically used for wide-area coverage layers, especially along transport corridors, rural and suburban areas. PROTEL directional and omnidirectional antennas in this band are widely used on railway, highway and metro infrastructures, including tunnel portals and trackside sections.

Mobile bands 690-960 MHz (including GSM-R)

Extending the low mobile range up to 960 MHz includes the GSM-R band used for railway communications in many European and international networks. In this broader 690-960 MHz segment you find:

GSM 900 and LTE 900 carriers.
GSM-R railway systems for train-to-ground communication.
Low-band layers for LTE and 5G NR in several national allocations.

PROTEL antennas are installed along railways, in railway tunnels, on viaducts and stations, as well as in highway and metro projects where continuous coverage is required for passengers and operations.

Mobile bands 1710-1880 MHz and 1710-2170 MHz

These ranges include classic cellular and broadband mobile bands such as:

DCS / LTE 1800 MHz (around 1710-1880 MHz).
UMTS / LTE 2100 MHz (around 1920-2170 MHz).

They are widely used as capacity layers in 3G and 4G networks and, in some regions, as part of 5G NR deployments. Directional antennas from PROTEL support these bands for macro and micro sites, trackside sectors and tunnel systems.

Wide mobile and multi-band range 660-3800 MHz

The 660-3800 MHz range collects many low, mid and high bands for LTE and 5G NR, including:

Low-band LTE and 5G carriers around 700, 800 and 900 MHz.
Mid-band LTE layers around 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz.
2.4 GHz and 3.x GHz services coexisting on the same sites.
5G NR bands around 3.4-3.8 GHz, used as main capacity bands in many countries.

PROTEL multi-band yagi and log-periodic antennas in this segment are used for LTE/5G coverage along transport corridors, donor antennas for tunnel systems and combined mobile + railway infrastructures including FRMCS-related projects.

Microwave and wireless bands 2300-5850 MHz

In the 2.3-5.8 GHz region you find:

LTE and WiMAX carriers around 2.3-2.6 GHz.
Wi-Fi and ISM bands at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
Broadband wireless links, WISP backhaul and professional radio systems.

PROTEL supplies directional yagi, panel and log-periodic antennas for fixed links, wireless backhaul, Wi-Fi coverage in stations and tunnels, and integration with mobile and transport infrastructures.

Measurement band 60-6000 MHz

For measurement, EMC testing and monitoring applications, PROTEL offers antennas covering wide ranges up to 6000 MHz. This band is used to:

Monitor broadcast, PMR, mobile, Wi-Fi and other services in a single campaign.
Perform EMC tests, field strength measurements and spectrum surveys.
Carry out drive tests and interference hunting along railways, highways and metro lines.

Main service families

Broadcast services: FM, DAB, TV

PROTEL antennas are used in:

FM broadcast networks in the 87.5-108 MHz band.
DAB digital radio in VHF band III, typically 174-240 MHz.
UHF TV broadcast in countries where UHF bands are still used for digital TV.

Antennas can be omnidirectional or directional, depending on the required coverage pattern and site constraints.

PMR, TETRA and professional radio

Professional mobile radio (PMR) and TETRA / TETRAPOL systems are used by public safety agencies, utilities, industries, transport operators and critical infrastructures. Typical allocations are in VHF and UHF ranges, depending on national regulations. PROTEL antennas cover these bands for base stations, repeaters, tower sites and tunnel systems.

Mobile networks: GSM, LTE and 5G NR

PROTEL antennas support classic and modern mobile standards:

GSM in 900 and 1800 MHz bands.
UMTS mainly around 2100 MHz.
LTE (4G) in multiple low, mid and high bands.
5G NR in low bands (700-900 MHz) and mid bands (around 3.4-3.8 GHz).

Antennas are used in macro and micro sites, as donor antennas for tunnel systems and along transport corridors such as railways, highways and metro lines.

Railway systems: GSM-R and FRMCS frameworks

In many countries railway operators use the GSM-R band in the 900 MHz range for train-to-ground communication. New projects are progressively moving towards FRMCS frameworks, where dedicated railway bands and 4G/5G technologies coexist with commercial networks on shared towers and sites. PROTEL supplies antennas for:

Railway trackside sites and viaducts.
Railway tunnels and tunnel portals.
Stations, depots and operational facilities.

Wi-Fi and ISM services

Wi-Fi and other ISM band services at 2.4 and 5 GHz are widely used in stations, depots, yards, industrial plants, ports and airports, often integrated with mobile and wired networks. PROTEL antennas in these bands are used for access, backhaul, CCTV, telemetry and operational data.

How this glossary supports project design

The frequency bands and services described above are the typical framework for PROTEL projects in railways, highways, metro systems, critical infrastructures and professional communication networks. By mapping each antenna family to the corresponding services and bands, the glossary helps designers, system integrators and end users to:

Identify which bands are relevant for a specific project or country.
Understand the role of each service in the overall system (coverage, capacity, safety, monitoring).
Choose the correct PROTEL antenna families for each site, tunnel section or corridor.