In telecommunication, free-space path loss (FSPL) is the loss in signal strength of an electromagnetic wave that would result from a line-of-sight path through free space (usually air), with no obstacles nearby to cause reflection or diffraction. It is defined in "Standard Definitions of Terms for Antennas", IEEE Std 145-1983, as "The loss between two isotropic radiators in free space, expressed as a power ratio." Usually it is expressed in dB, although the IEEE standard does not say that. So it assumes that the antenna gain is a power ratio of 1.0, or 0 dB. It does not include any loss associated with hardware imperfections, or the effects of any antenna gains