An electrooptic field-mapping system based on a gain-switched distributed feedback (DFB) pulsed laser and a CdTe electrooptic crystal is used for characterizing near-field patterns of conventional and uniplanar compact photonic band gap (UC-PBG) finite-width conductor-backed coplanar waveguides (FW-CBCPWs). Comparison of near-field patterns of the FW-CBCPWs visually shows that microstrip-like (MSL) modes in the FW-CBCPW are effectively suppressed by using the UC-PBG pattern on the side-ground plates.