Key features of paging
Wide area paging systems use high band VHF (Very High Frequency – typically around 150 MHz) similar to commercial radio broadcast stations in the FM band such as BBC radio 4. This means that the wireless signals are able to penetrate buildings to a much greater extent than today’s other forms of wireless communication. These wireless signals also travel further and so need many fewer transmitters as well.
PageOne’s paging network covers over 98% of the population, sending tone, number, and word messages to pager alert numbers anywhere within this radio coverage area.
It is important to understand that all paging networks are simple transmitting networks that send message out to pagers but do not receive messages back. The pagers are passive devices that receive only, and can therefore be used in environments that do not permit the use of mobile telephones, such as hospitals, aeroplanes and electronic equipment rooms.
Paging networks time stamp and message number stamp each message to enable the user to determine if a message was not received, for example, if the pager was turned off. In a case where a message was not received it can be re-transmitted on the paging network or redirected another medium such as email or mobile telephone.
Paging networks do not store and forward messages but broadcast them immediately, and are therefore better suited to applications that require real time or urgent messaging. On-site paging networks will deliver messages to hospital ‘crash’ teams in less than five seconds, wide-area networks typically within 30 seconds.
Paging networks do not generally charge per message but have a monthly flat rate fee for access to the service. Please be aware though that operators will invoke fair use policies to curb excessive or abusive use of the paging networks, so messaging may be regarded as free, but not necessarily unlimited. Typically, the more messages you send, the higher the monthly access charges are likely will be.
These days messages to pagers are usually generated electronically using computers. For example PageOne have an extensive list of computer protocols which will suit any computer system from dial up modems all the way through to Web service protocols such as SOAP/XML. But if all the electronic methods fail, you can still ring a call centre and speak to an operator who will type the message for you.
