Pager

A pager, or beeper, is a small wireless device that receives short messages or alerts. Its primary purpose is to notify the user that there is an incoming communication, such as a phone call or a text, and in many models to convey a brief reply or callback information.

Pagers operate on dedicated paging networks that route messages from a central transmission point to individual devices. Messages are directed to a specific pager by a unique identifier. Most devices are one-way, receiving numeric or alphanumeric data, but some two-way pagers can send limited responses back through the network. Numeric pagers typically display a phone number to call, while alphanumeric pagers can display short text messages, usually up to a few dozen to a hundred characters. Transmission often occurs via VHF or UHF radio frequencies.

Historically, pagers became widespread in the 1980s and 1990s as a reliable means of alerting people before the era of widespread mobile phones. They are still used in certain environments where continuous, fast alerting is crucial and mobile networks may be unreliable or congested. Hospitals, emergency services, and some industrial settings maintain paging systems for rapid, prioritized communication. Modern pagers vary in size and features, with long battery life and simple, highly reliable operation cited as advantages. Although smartphones have largely supplanted pagers in everyday consumer use, paging remains a niche technology valued for its simplicity and dependable coverage in specific professional contexts.