Personal Handyphone System
The Personal Handy Phone System (PHS ) is a mobile system in the range 1880 MHz - 1930 MHz. In China it is as Xiǎolíngtōng (小灵通) known. It is mainly there and in Japan, but also for example in Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam used. It works with very small cells and is based conceptually on a wireless local loop, similar to cordless phone systems. For users located PHS hardly differs from ordinary mobile phones. In contrast to GSM networks but the system is " grafted " to the existing landline telephony network, it is a wireless extension of the fixed network.
China Telecom and China Netcom have no license for the operation of mobile telephony in China, but both companies operate PHS networks, since these do not fall under the license agreement. For their Xiaolingtong connectors local landline numbers are assigned. The popularity of PHS in China is due to the fact that no passive fees must be paid and that the devices are made in China even cheap. The range is limited to a local area network, such as a city. By the end of 2005, China Netcom had about 80 million subscribers.
The devices are very small and have a transmission power of 500 mW and a range of a few dozen to more than a few hundred meters, in contrast to the reach of GSM mobile phones which is several kilometers. Therefore, rapid change of location with PHS phones are (eg in vehicles ) is not possible and they work outside of metropolitan areas not usually.
The Japanese network operator NTT DoCoMo has switched off his PHS mobile phone network in early 2008. Since May 2005, the provider no new PHS customers had taken more into his net. The only remaining PHS provider Willcom in Japan which claims to reach 99 % of the population of Japan.