Short for permanent virtual circuit, a virtual circuit that is permanently available. The only difference between a PVC and a switched virtual circuit (SVC) is that an SVC must be reestablished each time data is to be sent. Once the data has been sent, the SVC disappears. PVCs are more efficient for connections between hosts that communicate frequently.
PVCs play a central role in Frame Relay networks. They're also supported in some other types of networks, such as X.25.
