PCS phones can behave differently according to the type of system providing service to the user. For example, phones providing only basic service might not reselect or camp on private cells, thereby improving their time to service. Similarly, phones providing service on a residential system, such as a PBS, might perform different scanning routines in order to find their home system.

Operating Principle

PCS uses IS–136 identity structures to categorize each cell into three basic network types—public, private, or residential—and allows the phone to react to serving cells based on the broadcast identifiers of those network types. In other words, the phone can discriminate between, and access, different network systems and distinguish the types of services available on particular cells. Because a cell can have a mix of network types and subtypes, it can have a mix of services.

Figure 10 shows some network system configurations.

Figure 10. Network System Configurations

Network Types

Designations for the major network types and the subtypes include the following:

• public—The public designation refers to cells that provide the same basic cellular service to all customers.

• private—These cells provide special services to a predefined group of private or WOS customers only, and do not support public use of that cell. The private designation is used for in-building company systems with specific features.

• semi-private—A subtype, these cells provide basic service to all customers and also provide special services to a predefined group of private customers. An example would be a cell providing service to a WOS system as well as to public users.

• residential—These cells provide special services to a predefined group of residential customers only, and do not support public use of the cell. The PBS that allows a cellular phone to behave like a cordless home-phone is classed as a residential system.

• semi-residential—A subtype, these cells provide basic service to all customers and also provide special services to a predefined group of residential customers. This type is used in a neighborhood where the public macrocell is also providing residential cellular service.

• autonomous—These are cells that broadcast a DCCH in the same geographic area as other DCCH systems but are not listed as a neighbor on the neighbor list of the public system. Examples of autonomous systems include the PBS and private systems that are not coordinated with the public system. Phones must perform special frequency-scanning algorithms in order to find autonomous cells.