Radio spectrum pollution

Radio spectrum pollution is degradation of radio communications caused by excessive, unwanted, or poorly managed electromagnetic emissions that interfere with useful signals.

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Electromagnetic interference: Disruption of electrical or electronic operation by unwanted electromagnetic energy. Radio spectrum pollution is the radio-communications form of this broader interference.
Radio spectrum: The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used for radio-frequency transmissions. Pollution occurs within this shared, finite range of frequencies.
Spectrum management: The planning and regulation of radio-frequency use to support reliable, efficient communications. It coordinates users and technical limits to reduce harmful interference.
GNSS interference: Disruption or degradation of signals from global navigation satellite systems by interference or other disturbances. Weak satellite signals can be overwhelmed by nearby radio-frequency emissions.
Co-channel interference: Interference between transmissions using the same radio-frequency channel. Uncoordinated transmitters on one channel can make each other's signals unintelligible.
Radio frequency: An oscillation frequency in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum used for radio transmission. Interference depends on how emissions occupy or leak into particular frequencies.
Spectrum monitoring: Measurement and analysis of radio-frequency activity to assess spectrum use and detect interference. Monitoring can locate unexpected emitters and document pollution.
Jamming: Deliberate transmission of interfering signals to prevent or degrade reception of communications or navigation signals. Jamming is intentional interference, unlike pollution that may result from poor management or unwanted emissions.
Adjacent-channel interference: Interference caused by signals transmitted on nearby frequency channels. Imperfect filtering lets strong neighboring-channel signals spill into a receiver's channel.
Bandwidth: The range of frequencies occupied by a signal or available to a communication channel. Excessive occupied bandwidth can encroach on neighboring services.