Paging Channel
The Paging Channel (PCH) is a downlink transport channel that carries data relevant to the
paging procedure, that is, when the network wants to initiate communication with the
terminal.
The simplest example is a speech call to the terminal: the network transmits the paging message to the terminal on the paging channel of those cells belonging to the location area that the terminal is expected to be in.
The identical paging message can be transmitted in a single cell or in up to a few hundred cells, depending on the system configuration. The terminals must be able to receive the paging information in the whole cell area.
The design of the paging channel also affects the terminal’s power consumption in the
standby mode. The less often the terminal has to tune the receiver in to listen for a possible
paging message, the longer the terminal’s battery will last in standby mode.
