P

Page - A message which is broadcast from a group of cell sites that carries a mobile ID, for the purpose of alerting the mobile that a call is waiting.

Parity - A self-checking code employing binary digits in which the total number of ones is always odd or even.

PCN - Personal Communication Network. PCNs are usually short range (100's of feet to 1 mile or so) and involve cellular radio type architecture. Services include digital voice, FAX, mobile data and national/international data communications. Also -- A network of pocket-size radio telephones served by clusters of receiver transmitter cells.

PCS - Personal Communications Service. Within the U.S., the 1.9 GHz band has been allocated for PCS systems; the allocated spectrum is 120 MHz wide and is licensed as two 30 MHz segments for the 51 major trading areas, and three 10 MHz segments for the 493 basic trading areas.

PCS-1900 - See DCS-1900

PDC - Personal Digital Cellular, Japanese cellular standard.

Peak: - That part of the business day in which cellular customers pay full service rates. Peak hours are generally 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

PHS - Personal Handyphone system, Japanese cordless standard.

Pigtail antenna - The standard cellular antenna for a car. The term "pigtail" refers to the spring-like section in the lower third of the antenna known as the phasing coil.

PL - The mobile power level

PM - Phase Modulation; modulation of the phase of an RF carrier.

PN - Pseudo-random Noise. A digital signal with noise-like properties. Also a wideband modulation which imparts noise-like characteristics to an RF signal.

Port Change - A channel change from one sector to another, but staying within the same cell.

Private Mobile Radio (PMR) - Mobile communication network which is meant for a special group of users, e.g. for one or more enterprises or institutions.

Processing Gain - The ratio of the bandwidth of a spread spectrum signal to the data rate of the information.

PSK - Phase Shift Keying. A digital modulation of the phase of a signal's RF carrier.

PCM - Pulse Code Modulation.