PTC
PTC turns up in 2 fields: railroad, telecom & it. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
PTC in railroad
Positive train control: an onboard and wayside system that stops a train before it breaks a speed limit or authority.
Positive train control ties the locomotive's computer to GPS, wayside signal data and the dispatcher's back office, so it knows the train's location, its speed limits, its authority and any work zones ahead. If the engineer fails to slow down or stop in time, PTC first warns and then makes a penalty brake application. Federal law requires it on main lines carrying passengers or toxic-by-inhalation hazmat, and crews talk constantly about whether it initialized before departure.
"PTC won't initialize on the lead unit, so we're sitting here until the help desk pushes our consist again."
PTC in telecom & it
An international non-profit organization that promotes the advancement of information and communication technologies.
The Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) is an international organization focused on the telecommunications industry in the Pacific Rim. Industry executives, submarine cable operators, and policymakers gather at its annual conference to negotiate peering agreements and plan subsea infrastructure. It serves as a major hub for business development in the global bandwidth market.
"I'll be meeting with the tier one transit providers at PTC in Honolulu next week."