An industry association has been set up to promote and advance the Personal Access Communications System standard as the preferred system for North America. The PACS Providers Forum says it will dedicate its efforts to supporting the development of the Personal Access Communications System market in North America and to providing an arena in which member companies can discuss user issues, interoperability, and standards. Personal Access Communications System is the new low-powered wireless standard, based on Time Division Multiple Access and Wireless Access Communications Systems technologies, which became an ANSI standard last June. Singing the technology’s praises, Bob White, director of Bellcore Wireless Analysis, said, Its low complexity and low transmission power yield economical high capacity, which make it an excellent choice for urban and suburban applications where user density is high. He added that wireless local loop, pedestrian venues, commuting routes and indoor wireless are typical PACS applications. The Association’s founding members include Bellcore, which developed the technology on which the new system is based, alongside Alaskan carrier GCI Corp, Hughes Network Systems Inc, NEC America Inc, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co’s Panasonic Communications & Systems Co, Cirrus Logic Inc’s Pacific Communications Science Inc unit and Siemens Stromberg-Carlson Inc.
