What is a PCS Phone?

When someone hears "PCS" they may initially think of the company Sprint PCS. However, Sprint is not special when it comes to PCS. In fact, other companies in the United States could place PCS in their name if they felt like it as well -- PCS is short for Personal Communication Service, the name given to a particular radio frequency used for telecommunications in North America.

the PCS frequency is much higher than the frequencies typical cell-phone carriers use; however, most cell-phone service providers use phones that are able to use the PCS frequency. In doing so, the coverage area of a service provider can be expanded.

PCS was originally set aside to be different from cellular phones. Cellular phones were initially created as car-based phone, while PCS phones were created to be used by individuals wherever they might go. The initiall difference was that the cells in a PCS phone where smaller, which meant more towers were required to connect the network. However, even though PCS and cellular were initially created to be two separate entities, they are essentially the same thing now.

PCS is typically supported by phones using the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) technology. Phones in the United states will either use GSM or CDMA mobile-phone standards . However, phones equipped with one standard cannot be used on networks using the other standard. The only major company that uses GSM in the United States is AT&T; both Sprint and Verizon use CDMA. So even though Sprint has PCS in its name, AT&T is actually the only major company that is heavily supported by PCS.

Although PCS and cellular service is essentially the same in the present day, there is one way to truly differentiate the two from one another. Everything related to PCS phones is digital. From the way it sends and receives calls and texts to listening to voicemail, PCS is, and has always been, completely digital. The same can not be said about cellular. However, because of this, it is somewhat redundant to say digital PCS, because PCS essentially means digital. It is similar to saying ATM Machine. There is no need to say machine, because the word is already used in the title.

PCS will, for the most part, always be around, especially in the United States. The frequency used by PCS will not be abandoned. With so many wireless users now days, wireless companies would not be able to to ditch an entire frequency. With that being said the difference between PCS and cellular will continue to dissipate as the two services completely become the essentially the same entity.