On Tuesday, there were massive explosions in parts of Lebanon and Syria in which pagers were used. Many people may not know much about pagers and what they are. After these explosions, investigative agencies have started investigating the matter.

What is a pager?: A pager is a small wireless device, which is used especially for sending and receiving messages. It is also called a beeper in simple language. Pagers were used a lot in the 1980s and 1990s, because mobile phones were not very popular at that time.

Why is a pager used?: Most people use pagers to receive messages via radio frequency from a base station or central dispatch. These messages can be numeric (such as phone numbers) or alphanumeric (such as text messages). Two-way pagers are used to send messages. When a message arrives, a tone sounds from the pager. The pager does not depend on the mobile network, so it is considered a reliable communication device. It proves to be a good means of sending and receiving messages, especially in difficult situations.

Which countries still use pagers?: Even today pagers are being used in some countries. Such as America, Japan, Britain, Canada and Switzerland. It is especially used in hospitals and healthcare sector. However, now its number has reduced a lot. It can be used in countries where internet facility is not good.

Types of pagers: The battery life of a pager is very strong. It can last for a week on a single charge. It can send messages much faster than a mobile phone. There are mainly two types of pagers:

One-way pager: In this, the user can only receive messages but cannot reply.
Two-way pager: In this, not only messages can be received but replies can also be sent.