Noun, Abbr.
PCS is a notation for Personal Communication Services—an FCC-licensed band around the 1900 MHz spectrum.
PCS is a paired band used for cellular service. This means that when communicating through a PCS band, phones transmit to a cell tower on one frequency, and the towers communicate with the phones on a different frequency.
Additionally, like other bands for cellular devices, PCS bands are divided into smaller blocks that different companies can license.
The original PCS bands consisted of six blocks designated by A through F and covered frequencies between 1850–1990 MHz. These blocks are collectively referred to as block 2.
These bands are still used for 2G and 3G technologies like GSM, CDMA, and LTE. They also facilitate cell services like calls, text and internet.
FCC Broadband PCS Band Plan | Credit: The Federal Communications Commission
However, the FCC granted a seventh block in 2004—block G to Sprint. This new block consists of frequencies between 1910–1915 MHz and 1990–1995 MHz. Through block G, Sprint was able to deploy its initial run of LTE technology.
This expanded PCS band (including blocks A–G) is collectively known as band 25.
Example of PCS Band in a sentence
"Sprint is using the PCS Band for their cellular network."
Related Terms for PCS Band