A form of electromagnetic radiation (or section of the electromagnetic spectrum) possessing a wavelength between 1 millimeter and 30 centimeters, and a very high frequency (between 1 and 30 gigahertz). Microwaves are used not only for cooking purposes (in microwave ovens) but also for broadband communications. Since microwave transmission requires line-of-sight communication, long-distance transmissiins require repeater stations every 20 miles or so, to compensate for the Earth's curvature. Typically, microwaves are used to transmit information from an Earth station to a communications satellite and back to another Earth station.
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