smalband

Smalband is a term that has appeared in limited technical discussions to denote the use of a small spectral bandwidth, i.e., a narrow portion of the radio frequency spectrum, for transmitting signals. It is not part of standard telecommunications vocabulary, and its exact meaning varies by source. In some contexts, smalband refers to design approaches that minimize bandwidth usage to reduce spectrum occupancy, power consumption, or interference, often at the cost of data rate or latency. In others, it describes specific modulation or coding schemes intended for low-data-rate communications, such as sensor networks or telemetry, where narrow bandwidths are advantageous.

Because the term is not standardized, implementations described as smalband can differ in modulation, error-correction, and spectrum usage. It is sometimes presented as a contrast to wideband or broadband approaches, though those terms also carry broader, more established meanings in engineering practice.

Etymology and usage: smalband appears as a compound of "small" and "band" (bandwidth) in English-language writing and in some niche or marketing contexts. Its use is sporadic and not tied to a universal specification.

See also: Narrowband, Bandwidth, Modulation, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), LPWAN, Signal processing.