Personal handyphone system

The personal handyphone system (PHS), having much higher frequency spectrum usage efficiency than the conventional cellular telephone system, allows a nationwide network to be established at an extremely low cost through utilization of the existing wire telephone switching network. The PHS also allows the same personal station (PS) to be used not only as a mobile public communications terminal, but as a home cordless telephone terminal and a business cordless telephone terminal in an office private branch exchanges (PBX). Direct communication (transceiver communication) between particular PSs can be performed as well. The PHS is expected to be the most simplified portable telephone system ofthe next generation. Another feature of the PHS is a radio subscriber network instead of a conventional wire telephone network. The PHS has capabilities for lower installation cost than wire line system in an area where subscriber cables are not installed, and it is being studied for the standard. The PHS was put in the public service in July, 1995 in Japan. This paper discusses the standardized communications system of the PHS, as well as the development status of PHS products, including the terminal and network at Hitachi, Ltd.