PACS:
Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially
by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT
PACS
Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially
by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT
Packet switching
A communication system wherein the information is transmitted in packets of a set size.
These packets have address headers and find their way to their destination by the most
efficient route through the network. Compared to circuit switching where a connection
is occupied until the traffic exchange is completed, packet switching offers
considerable efficiencies as connections can be used by a number of users
simultaneously
PAMR
Public Access Mobile Radio; Commercial service using trunking techniques in which
multiple groups of users can set up their own closed systems within a shared public
network
PAP
Public Access Profile; a DECT term
PCH
Paging Channel; downlink only, the MS is informed of incoming calls by the BTS via the
PCH
PCM
Pulse Code Modulation; the standard digital voice format at 64kbit/s
PCMCIA
Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association the body responsible for defining
the standards and formats for memory expansion cards for laptop computers and PDAs. Now
extended to cover cards for mobile phones
PCN
Personal Communications Network; a designation initially used in the UK to refer to
networks operating in the 1800MHz band (see also DCS1800). No longer in use
PCS 1900
Personal Communications Systems 1900MHz; the terminology used in the US to describe the
new digital networks being deployed in the 1900MHz band; rarely used today
PCU
Packet Control Unit; an element in a GPRS/UMTS network
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant
PDC
Personal Digital Communications; a digital cellular technology developed and deployed
uniquely in Japan. A TDMA technology, PDC is incompatible with any other digital
cellular standard
PEDC
Pan European Digital Communications; A designation occasionally used in the early
1990’s to describe GSM. No longer in use
Penetration
The percentage of the total population which owns a mobile phone
PHS / PHP
Personal HandyPhone System/Phone; a digital cordless technology developed in Japan
which achieved great success. Deployed by NTT DoCoMo and other Japanese operators PHS
offered two-way communications, data services and Internet access and eventually won
some 28 million customers. Now in decline as cellular’s wide area capabilities offer
better service
PIN
Personal Identifier Number
PKI
Public Key Infrastructure
PLMN
Public Land Mobile Network; any cellular operator’s network
PMR
Private Mobile Radiocommunications; two-way radio technology widely used for despatch
and delivery services, taxi companies and the like. See TETRA
POCSAG
Post Office Code Standardisation Group; a now defunct industry grouping which
standardised pager addressing systems
PoP
Points of Presence; a method of measuring the value of a cellular licence; the
approximate number of potential customers within a geographical area
POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service
PROM
Programmable Read Only Memory
PSK
Phase Shift Keying
PSRCP
Public Safety Radio Communications Project; an initiative by the UK Government to
standardise all emergency services communications on to a single digital technology
(see TETRA)
PSDN
Public Switched Data Network
PSPDN
Public Switched Packet Data Network
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network
PSU
Power Supply Unit
PTO
Public Telecommunication Operator
PTT
Posts, Telephone and Telegraph Administration
PTT
Push-to-Talk; a feature of PMR systems
PWT
Personal Wireless Telecommunications; a variant of DECT developed for use in the USA
PCN
Personal Communications Networks; an outdated term for GSM services in the 1800MHz band
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant; a sophisticated handheld device with advanced display
facilities and a range of business-oriented software programs
Phone book
A list of personal names and numbers stored in a mobile phone’s internal memory or in
the SIM card. These numbers can be called by accessing the appropriate memory and
making a single key stroke
PIN
Personal Identity Number; a number, usually four digits, that must be keyed into a
mobile phone to make it work. A security measure to prevent unauthorised usage
P-Java (Personal Java) a Java API and specification for running Java applications on
small devices.
Packet a piece of data transmitted over a packet-switching network such as the Internet
or wireless Internet; a packet includes not just data but also its destination.
Packet Switching a type of communication that splits information into “packets” of data
for transmission. This is efficient, as it only uses radio spectrum when it’s actually
sending something, rather than keeping an open channel at all times (as is done in
circuit switching). Packet switching is a core component to 3G technology.
Passive Matrix Display an LCD technology that uses a grid to supply the charge to each
particular pixel on the display. An STN screen has a slower refresh rate than a TFT
screen, but it’s cheaper. Also called a SuperTwist Nematic of STN display.
PC Card (PCMCIA) a removable, credit-card sized devices that may be plugged into slots
in PCS and wireless communication devices to provide fax or modem functions or network
cards.
PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) a group of hardware
manufacturers and vendors responsible for developing standards for PC Cards (also
called PCMCIA cards.)
PCN:
also known as DCS 1800 or GSM 1800, PCN is a term used to describe a wireless
communication technology in Europe and Asia.
PDA (personal digital assistant) a portable, handheld computing device that acts as an
electronic organizer. PDAs are typically used for managing addresses, appointments,
to-do lists and notes, but some newer models support wireless Internet access, e-mail,
and other interactive applications. Also referred to as Handheld Computers. PDAs come
in two major flavors - Palm and Pocket PC.
PIN (Personal Identification Number) a numeric code or password that may be required by
a service provider in order to make outgoing calls or obtain access to certain
applications and data. This code is always associated to a SIM card, not a phone and is
designed to help guard against cellular fraud.
PTT (Push-To-Talk) a two-way communication service that works like a “walkie talkie”.
This feature, found on Motorola iDEN phones from Nextel and Telus Mobility’s Mike,
allow communication in only direction at a time unlike a cell phone that allows for
simultaneous conversations. New PTT systems are now being introduced that use VoIP
technology to provide PTT service digitally over 3G data networks
PUK (Personal Unblocking Code) used to unblock a blocked SIM card, this code is given
during the subscription of a phone
PWR:
represents the on/off (power) key on some wireless devices.
Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially
by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT
PACS
Personal Access Communication System; a digital cordless technology developed initially
by Bell Labs in the US, PACS was designed to compete with DECT
Packet switching
A communication system wherein the information is transmitted in packets of a set size.
These packets have address headers and find their way to their destination by the most
efficient route through the network. Compared to circuit switching where a connection
is occupied until the traffic exchange is completed, packet switching offers
considerable efficiencies as connections can be used by a number of users
simultaneously
PAMR
Public Access Mobile Radio; Commercial service using trunking techniques in which
multiple groups of users can set up their own closed systems within a shared public
network
PAP
Public Access Profile; a DECT term
PCH
Paging Channel; downlink only, the MS is informed of incoming calls by the BTS via the
PCH
PCM
Pulse Code Modulation; the standard digital voice format at 64kbit/s
PCMCIA
Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association the body responsible for defining
the standards and formats for memory expansion cards for laptop computers and PDAs. Now
extended to cover cards for mobile phones
PCN
Personal Communications Network; a designation initially used in the UK to refer to
networks operating in the 1800MHz band (see also DCS1800). No longer in use
PCS 1900
Personal Communications Systems 1900MHz; the terminology used in the US to describe the
new digital networks being deployed in the 1900MHz band; rarely used today
PCU
Packet Control Unit; an element in a GPRS/UMTS network
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant
PDC
Personal Digital Communications; a digital cellular technology developed and deployed
uniquely in Japan. A TDMA technology, PDC is incompatible with any other digital
cellular standard
PEDC
Pan European Digital Communications; A designation occasionally used in the early
1990’s to describe GSM. No longer in use
Penetration
The percentage of the total population which owns a mobile phone
PHS / PHP
Personal HandyPhone System/Phone; a digital cordless technology developed in Japan
which achieved great success. Deployed by NTT DoCoMo and other Japanese operators PHS
offered two-way communications, data services and Internet access and eventually won
some 28 million customers. Now in decline as cellular’s wide area capabilities offer
better service
PIN
Personal Identifier Number
PKI
Public Key Infrastructure
PLMN
Public Land Mobile Network; any cellular operator’s network
PMR
Private Mobile Radiocommunications; two-way radio technology widely used for despatch
and delivery services, taxi companies and the like. See TETRA
POCSAG
Post Office Code Standardisation Group; a now defunct industry grouping which
standardised pager addressing systems
PoP
Points of Presence; a method of measuring the value of a cellular licence; the
approximate number of potential customers within a geographical area
POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service
PROM
Programmable Read Only Memory
PSK
Phase Shift Keying
PSRCP
Public Safety Radio Communications Project; an initiative by the UK Government to
standardise all emergency services communications on to a single digital technology
(see TETRA)
PSDN
Public Switched Data Network
PSPDN
Public Switched Packet Data Network
PSTN
Public Switched Telephone Network
PSU
Power Supply Unit
PTO
Public Telecommunication Operator
PTT
Posts, Telephone and Telegraph Administration
PTT
Push-to-Talk; a feature of PMR systems
PWT
Personal Wireless Telecommunications; a variant of DECT developed for use in the USA
PCN
Personal Communications Networks; an outdated term for GSM services in the 1800MHz band
PDA
Personal Digital Assistant; a sophisticated handheld device with advanced display
facilities and a range of business-oriented software programs
Phone book
A list of personal names and numbers stored in a mobile phone’s internal memory or in
the SIM card. These numbers can be called by accessing the appropriate memory and
making a single key stroke
PIN
Personal Identity Number; a number, usually four digits, that must be keyed into a
mobile phone to make it work. A security measure to prevent unauthorised usage
P-Java (Personal Java) a Java API and specification for running Java applications on
small devices.
Packet a piece of data transmitted over a packet-switching network such as the Internet
or wireless Internet; a packet includes not just data but also its destination.
Packet Switching a type of communication that splits information into “packets” of data
for transmission. This is efficient, as it only uses radio spectrum when it’s actually
sending something, rather than keeping an open channel at all times (as is done in
circuit switching). Packet switching is a core component to 3G technology.
Passive Matrix Display an LCD technology that uses a grid to supply the charge to each
particular pixel on the display. An STN screen has a slower refresh rate than a TFT
screen, but it’s cheaper. Also called a SuperTwist Nematic of STN display.
PC Card (PCMCIA) a removable, credit-card sized devices that may be plugged into slots
in PCS and wireless communication devices to provide fax or modem functions or network
cards.
PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) a group of hardware
manufacturers and vendors responsible for developing standards for PC Cards (also
called PCMCIA cards.)
PCN:
also known as DCS 1800 or GSM 1800, PCN is a term used to describe a wireless
communication technology in Europe and Asia.
PDA (personal digital assistant) a portable, handheld computing device that acts as an
electronic organizer. PDAs are typically used for managing addresses, appointments,
to-do lists and notes, but some newer models support wireless Internet access, e-mail,
and other interactive applications. Also referred to as Handheld Computers. PDAs come
in two major flavors - Palm and Pocket PC.
PIN (Personal Identification Number) a numeric code or password that may be required by
a service provider in order to make outgoing calls or obtain access to certain
applications and data. This code is always associated to a SIM card, not a phone and is
designed to help guard against cellular fraud.
PTT (Push-To-Talk) a two-way communication service that works like a “walkie talkie”.
This feature, found on Motorola iDEN phones from Nextel and Telus Mobility’s Mike,
allow communication in only direction at a time unlike a cell phone that allows for
simultaneous conversations. New PTT systems are now being introduced that use VoIP
technology to provide PTT service digitally over 3G data networks
PUK (Personal Unblocking Code) used to unblock a blocked SIM card, this code is given
during the subscription of a phone
PWR:
represents the on/off (power) key on some wireless devices.