In the 21st century, when almost every person on Earth has a smartphone, it may seem strange that someone still uses a pager. But this modest receiver, despite its respectful past, can still find a place in the modern world. In short, a pager is used to receive messages over the radio, and although it cannot send responses, in some cases it is much more useful and reliable than the most sophisticated smartphone. Many people have only seen pagers in movies from the 1990s, so you would probably be interested to know what this device is and how it works. Now we will fill this gap in your knowledge, as always briefly and in simple words. It will be interesting!
Pagers have already been forgotten by many people, but representatives of some professions still use them. Image source: habr.com
Contents
- 1 How a pager works
- 2 Why a pager is better than a phone
- 3 The most popular pager models
- 4 When pagers appeared in Russia
- 5 Why pagers lost popularity
- 6 Who uses pagers in 2024
- 7 What paging companies exist today
How a pager works
If you've watched movies from the 1990s and 2000s, you probably know what a pager looks like. This small, rectangular device with a few buttons and a tiny screen is essentially a miniature radio receiver that receives messages via radio waves.
To send a message to a pager, a person first had to call a special company via any phone and dictate a message to the operator. This information, along with the recipient's number, was transmitted to the system to be converted into text, and then sent via a radio transmitter.
Usually the shortest messages were transmitted via the pager. Image source: techcult.ru
After a few seconds, and sometimes after five minutes, the message was sent to the recipient's pager. The speed of message transmission directly depended on the workload of the operators. Upon receiving the signal, the device made a sound or vibrated, notifying the owner of a new message.
Over time, pagers appeared that could transmit messages without calling the operator. They were equipped with a keyboard with which you could write messages. There were also pagers that could only reproduce signals, they were called “beepers”. And there were also models that displayed only a set of numbers, each of which meant something.
Why is a pager better than a phone
Despite their limited functionality, pagers had several important advantages over telephones. First, they provided one-way communication: a person could receive messages but could not respond. This made them ideal for situations where information simply needed to be conveyed without the need for a lengthy conversation.
Pagers were especially useful for doctors and rescuers. Image source: xakep.ru
In addition, pagers were more economical. They consumed significantly less energy, so they could work on one battery much longer than a telephone. They were also cheaper for both users and operators. Pagers were often used in specific areas, such as medicine or emergency services, where one-way communication was sufficient and even more effective.
The most popular pager models
Pagers were at the height of their popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, and were made by companies that are still well known today for their more modern means of communication.
One of the leading players in the pager market was Motorola. One of the most famous models was the Motorola Bravo, an easy-to-use pager that supported text messages and became a true symbol of its era.
Motorola Bravo pager. Image source: wikimedia.org
The company also released a more advanced model, the Motorola Advisor, which offered users advanced features such as displaying the time and date next to text messages. This model was especially popular in Russia.
The mega-popular Motorola Advisor pager. Image source: drive2.ru
European company Philips also produced pagers, but they were aimed at a business audience. They stood out with their bright screen and long battery life, which made them popular with corporate clients who needed reliable communication for business messages.
One of the Philips pagers. Image source: meshok.net
Japanese electronics giant NEC has also made a significant contribution to the pager market, with its devices understandably being particularly popular in Asia.
NEC pager. Image source: pinterest.com
When pagers appeared in Russia
The first pagers appeared in what is now Russia in 1980, during the Moscow Olympics. They were used to solve organizational problems: specialists transmitted commands and other important information to builders and security personnel.
The first paging network was deployed by the British company Multitone Electronics, making it a convenient way to coordinate a huge number of event participants. In addition, even ambulance services were equipped with pagers, which helped significantly improve operational work during the games.
We first learned about pagers during the Soviet era. Image source: championat.com
Commercial use of pagers in Russia began in the early 1990s, when the first operators appeared, such as Vesso-Link, Inform-Excom and Radio-Page. At that time, pagers were the most affordable means of communication: mobile phones cost about $5,000, and a pager could be purchased for $199. This made pagers incredibly popular among businessmen and those who needed fast and reliable communication.
The emergence of pagers also led to the emergence of a new profession – a communication operator. These people had to be able to type messages at a speed of at least 200 characters per minute, and also have impeccable literacy. This work was especially popular among female students, since the shift schedule was easily combined with studies. In large cities such as St. Petersburg, paging companies hired dozens of operators, while in smaller cities the staff was more modest, and candidates began working almost immediately after the interview.
Read also: Why people in the USSR looked older than their real age
Why pagers lost popularity
Pagers began to lose popularity in the late 1990s, when mobile phones became more affordable and entered everyday life en masse. That is, they were used in Russia for only about a decade.
In the 2000s, abundant telephones have almost completely replaced pagers. Image source: istockphoto/lenscap67
In an attempt to retain users, paging companies offered various free services, such as weather forecasts, exchange rate information, and even announcements of concerts and other events. However, this was not enough to compete with mobile communications, which already allowed not only to receive messages, but also to call anyone and send SMS messages.
Who uses pagers in 2024
Despite the overall decline, in 2024 pagers are still used in specific areas. For example, they are often used in medical institutions and emergency services, where it is necessary to quickly transmit information, especially in places where mobile communications may be unstable. Pagers also remain relevant at large events for the prompt coordination of personnel. These devices are valued for their simplicity and reliability, despite the general transition to modern technologies.
Pagers are still relevant in 2024. Image source: stock.adobe.com
What paging companies exist today
As pagers are rarely used today, paging communication has practically disappeared in Russia. The country no longer issues licenses for such services, and many companies that were involved in paging have switched to other areas.
All pagers look pretty much the same. Image source: fishki.net
The situation is a bit different in the US. Spok, one of the leading companies in this field, still services over 800,000 pagers.
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In the end, it turns out that the legacy of pagers is still alive. If you have memories of using pagers, or if you have interesting stories about these devices, we'd love to hear them. Join our Telegram chat and share your experiences.