K band (IEEE)

IEEE K-band
Frequency range	18–27 GHz
Wavelength range	1.67–1.11 cm
Related bands	J- / K-bands (NATO); SHF (ITU);

The IEEE K-band is a portion of the radio spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 18 to 27 gigahertz (GHz). The range of frequencies in the center of the K-band between 18 and 26.5 GHz are absorbed by water vapor in the atmosphere due to its resonance peak at 22.24 GHz, 1.35 cm (0.53 in). Therefore these frequencies experience high atmospheric attenuation and cannot be used for long-distance applications. For this reason, the original K-band has been split into three bands: Ka-band, K-band, and Ku-band as detailed below.

The K stands for Kurz, the German word for 'short'.