Development of air interface standards for PCS.

Abstract

r the past three-to-four years, Personal Communications Services (PCS) has been one of the hottest topics in the telecommunications industry. Of particular interest is the development of air interface standards. This article provides a concise overview of how standards developing organizations are approaching the task of PCS air interface standards development, a characterization of the air interface proposals, the current status of air interface standards development, and some generic projections. PCS has generically been referred to as a concept that will make it possible to communicate with anyone -anytime anywhere. This implies wireless, wireline, and networking capabilities. The FCC has defined PCS as “radio communications that encompass mobile and ancillary fixed communications that provide services to individuals and businesses and can be integrated with a variety of competing networks.”[l] Furthermore, the FCC characterized PCS as encompassing “a broad range of new radiocommunication service that will free individuals from the limitations of the wireline public switched telephone network and will enablc individuals to communicate when they are away from their home or office telephones.”[2] The rapid growth of the cellular telephone industry, coupled with the government making additional spectra available, has made PCS one of the hottest, if not the hottest, telecommunications topic over the last three-to-four years.