The advent of widespread mobile phone availability meant a dramatic fall in the use of pagers, but there are some industries where they continue to be one of the most effective ways to stay in contact with essential personnel.
Why use pagers?
A pager system, such as those offered by dinggly.com, can provide a reliable way to transmit messages in emergencies, in situations where there may not be a mobile phone signal. They are easily portable and have a long battery life, making them the device of choice for those whose work involves time-sensitive situations or travel in remote locations. They can tell you where, when and why you need to go somewhere, though in limited format.
Healthcare
Healthcare is the primary industry to still use pagers. They are used to contact doctors or other healthcare professionals if they are on call or there is an emergency situation, to alert patients or family members when they are needed, such as when an organ becomes available for transplant, and to share important information with a large group of people at once. Attempts to reduce NHS reliance on pagers have seen limited success.
Emergency services
Pagers may also be used by other emergency service workers for situations such as disaster relief, when phone coverage may be particularly unreliable and opportunities to recharge the device more limited. The RNLI, for instance, uses them to alert crews when they are needed.
Food services
In busy restaurants and other establishments that serve food, pagers may be used to alert waiting customers that their table is ready, or that their meal has been served and is ready to eat.
Crime, terrorism and intelligence
The fact that pagers are harder to track than mobile phones has also made them popular with those who want their work to be more clandestine, though the rise in burner phones and encryption has made this less common.
They may not be as widespread as they were in their 90s heyday, but pagers continue to provide an essential service that other technology has yet to match.