Personal Communications Service (PCS) encompasses a wide variety of mobile, portable and ancillary communications
services to individuals and businesses. The Commission broadly defined PCS as mobile and fixed communications offerings
that serve individuals and businesses, and can be integrated with a variety of competing networks. The spectrum allocated to
PCS is divided into three major categories: (1)
broadband, (2) narrowband, and (3) unlicensed.
Narrowband PCS uses a smaller portion of the spectrum than broadband PCS. Narrowband PCS licenses are used to provide
such services as two-way paging and other text-based services. For example, licensees offer services using devices that come
equipped with a small keyboard allowing a subscriber to both retrieve and send complete messages through microwave signals
(e.g. wireless e-mail). Licensees also use the spectrum to offer wireless telemetry which is the monitoring of mobile or fixed
equipment in a remote location. For example, a licensee may remotely monitor utility meters of energy companies (this is
called automatic meter reading or "AMR").
Narrowband PCS operates in the
901-902 MHz, 930-931 MHz, and 940-941 MHz bands and is licensed based on nationwide,
regional, and MTA market designations. The rules governing narrowband PCS are found in the Code of Federal Regulations,
Volume 47, Part 24.
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