In networking context PVC stands for Permanent Virtual Circuit, a software-defined logical connection in a frame relay, X.25 or ATM network. The network provider (or sometimes the client) defines endpoints and the required bandwidth (often called CIR, Committed Information Rate) to the network devices which handle the use of physical networks and manage the traffic to achieve the defined connections. Usually there are multiple PVCs sharing a physical network path at the same time, but otherwise the connection is much like a leased or dedicated real circuit.