These standards detail definitions, methods of measurement, and minimum performance characteristics of 800-MHZ Cellular Base Stations. These standards share the purpose of the Cellular Systems Mobile Station Land Station Compatibility specification EIA/TIA-553 (and subsequent revisions thereof) of assuring that that meets the compatibility requirements of EIA/TIA-553.

Compatibility, as used in connection with these standards and EIA/TIA-553, is understood to mean: Cellular systems with their associated base stations are capable of placing and receiving calls with any cellular subscriber unit. Conversely, any subscriber unit is capable of placing and receiving calls in the cellular system via the base-station equipment.

To assure compatibility, it is essential that both radio-system parameters and call-processing parameters be specified. The speech-filtering, modulation, and RF-emission parameters commonly encountered in two-way radio systems have been updated and expanded to reflect the unique radio plan upon which cellular systems are based. The sequence of call-processing steps that the mobile and base stations execute to establish calls has been specified in EIA/TIA-553 along with the digital control messages and analog signals that are exchanged between the two stations.

Although the basic purpose of cellular telecommunications has been voice communication, evolving usages (e.g., data) may allow the omission of some of the features specified herein provided that the system compatibility is not compromised.

These standards concentrate specifically on the Base Station Radio Transmitting and Receiving equipment; they cover the cellular switch and the cell-control equipment only to the extent that compatibility with EIA/TIA-553 is assured.