The Ka-band includes the frequencies of 26.5-40GHz. The Ka-band is part of the K band of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum. The symbol "Ka" stands for "K-above," meaning the band directly above the K-band. You can learn more about Ka-Band systems here.
Many are choosing Ka-band systems because of its increasing capacity availability.
The Ku-band includes the frequencies of 12-18 GHz. The symbol "Ku" stands for "K-under" or the band directly below the K band. You can learn more about Ku-Band systems here.
Ka Band |
Ku Band |
Twice the frequency of Ku |
Half the frequency of Ka |
Primarily used for wideband systems |
Primarily used for |
10-100x throughput of Ku bands |
Lower throughput |
Smaller antenna size |
Larger antenna size |
More susceptible to atmosphere attenuation |
Less susceptible to atmosphere attenuation |
If you are designing a Ka or Ku band system, then finding RF components with low noise (especially the local oscillator) is probably at the top of your list, as it should be.
The relatively high band width of Ka and Ku band systems allow them to transmit data, video, voice, etc. at a silky smooth rate. If the phase noise of the local oscillator is too high, these transmissions will become noisy and will fail. Selecting a low phase noise oscillator becomes critically important.