Provided is a technique that enables quicker detection of usable frequency bands in a cognitive radio system. Each radio communication apparatus in the system has, in common, a hash function used to obtain a frequency range from time information and location information. Each radio communication apparatus detects unused frequency bands while narrowing down a frequency range over which a detection process is performed by obtaining the terminal's own location information and current time information from GPS signals, and input them to the hash function. Since a transmitting node and a receiving node that perform a communication are at locations close to each other at the same time, they perform detection in the same frequency range. Therefore, an unused frequency band(s) that is usable by both of them can be detected. Furthermore, at different locations or at different times, the detection will be performed in different frequency ranges. Therefore efficient frequency utilization can be achieved. It is preferred that the nodes have a plurality of kinds of hash functions in common.