As a matter of convention, the ITU divides the radio spectrum into 12 bands, each beginning at a wavelength which is a power of ten (10n) metres, with corresponding frequency of 3×108−n hertz, and each covering a decade of frequency or wavelength. Each of these bands has a traditional name. For example, the term "high frequency" (HF) designates the wavelength range from 100 to 10 metres, corresponding to a frequency range of 3 MHz to 30 MHz. This is just a naming convention and is not related to allocation; the ITU further divides each band into subbands allocated to different uses. Above 300 GHz, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by Earth's atmosphere is so great that the atmosphere is effectively opaque, until it becomes transparent again in the near-infrared and optical window frequency ranges.