User's Manual

Glossary
E-6 LGCell 4.0 Installation and Reference Manual PN 8100-40
620004-0 Rev. B
PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. This acro-
nym is used to refer to credit card sized packages containing memory, I/O
devices and other capabilities for use in Personal Computers, handheld comput-
ers and other devices.
PCS Personal Communications Service. A vague label applied to new-generation
mobile communication technology that uses the narrow band and broadband
spectrum recently allocated in the 1.9 GHz band.
PDA Personal Digital Assistant. Portable computing devices that are extremely por-
table and that offer a variety of wireless communication capabilities, including
paging, electronic mail, stock quotations, handwriting recognition, facsimile, cal-
endar, and other information handling capabilities.
PDC Personal Digital Cellular (formerly Japanese Digital Cellular). A
TDMA-based digital cellular standard that operates in the 1500 MHz band.
Phase The particular angle of inflection of a wave at a precise moment in time. It is
normally measured in terms of degrees.
PHS Personal Handyphone System. A wireless telephone standard, developed and
first deployed in Japan. It is a low mobility, small-cell system.
POP Short for “population”. One person equals one POP.
POTS Plain Old Telephone Service.
PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network. Refers to the international telephone
system and includes both local and long distance networks.
Reverse Channel Refers to the radio channel that sends information from a mobile
station to a base station. (See Forward Channel.)
RF Radio Frequency. Those frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum that are
associated with radio wave propagation.
Roaming The ability to use a wireless phone to make and receive calls in places
outside one's home calling area.
RSA Rural Service Area. One of the 428 FCC-designated rural markets across the
United States used as license areas for cellular licenses. (See MTAs and BTAs.)
Sector A portion of a cell. Often, different sectors within the same cell will each use
a different set of frequencies to maximize spectrum utilization.
Signal to Noise Ratio The ratio of signal power to noise power at a given point in a
given system.
Smart Antenna Refers to an antenna whose signal handling characteristics change
as signal conditions change.
Soft Handoff Virtually undetectable by the user, soft handoff allows both the origi-
nal cell and a new cell to serve a call temporarily during the handoff transition.