INTRODUCTION

Today's paging systems offer much more than the basic system described above. A paging system subscriber can be alerted anytime and at almost any place as coverage can be easily extended, even across national borders. Useful features incorporated into modern pagers include a variety of alerting methods (e.g. using vibration, flashing lights and different beep tones); group call, which is useful to emergency rescue/maintenance teams, and voice storage which permits review of voice messages at an appropriate location or time. The introduction of alphanumeric pagers also enables important information/data (e.g. business, financial news) to be constantly updated and monitored.

The paging system makes efficient use of the radio spectrum, enabling it to provide inexpensive functions satisfying customers' demand. This has contributed to the steady expansion of the paging industry in recent years. The introduction of complementary products (e.g. pocket-sized cellular phones, cordless telephones and multifunctional "communicators") will inevitably spur the paging industry to provide more value-added services in the future. There will be more varied applications of paging like the sending of E-mail, voice mail, faxes or other useful information to a pager, which will also take on more attractive, innovative forms.

Although introduced relatively late in some Asian countries, paging is growing at an incredible rate as an alternative solution to daily communication needs. With such pent- up demand, entrepreneurs scramble to provide paging services in practically every city or major township, and the need to understand the basics of paging is generated by people associated with the industry. This book is written with these entrepreneurs and their non-technical employees, government officials, vendors and even customers in mind.