PCS is often mistakenly referred to as a different 2G technology. It is not. PCS is an acronym for Personal Communications Service, which merely represents the 1900 MHz spectrum set aside by the FCC in America for additional wireless phone capacity. GSM-1900, IS-95, IS-136, and CDMA2000 operate on the 1900 MHz PCS band today.

The other spectrum used in North America (850 MHz) was the original spectrum licensed by the FCC in the 1980s, commonly referred to as Cellular spectrum. Today, AMPS, IS-95, CDMA2000, IS-136, and more recently GSM-850 all operate on the Cellular spectrum.

Mobile phone manufacturers include Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Alcatel and Sagem.