Definition of:5 GHz band
5 GHz band

Refers to the frequency range from 5.15 GHz to 5.85 GHz, which is unlicensed and used for many communications applications, including Wi-Fi and cordless phones. One typically hears of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands in the same breath, because they both refer to wireless LANs. The reason 2.4 has the dot-4, but 5 GHz is expressed as a whole number is because the 2.4 GHz range is entirely within 2.4 GHz, but the 5 GHz range covers several bands from 5.15 GHz to 5.85 GHz. See ISM band and 802.11.