Which Sectors Still Use Pagers Today?
While mobile phones have largely replaced pagers for personal communication, certain sectors continue to rely on these small, durable devices due to their unique advantages, such as long battery life, reliability, and the ability to function in areas with poor cell coverage. Below are some key sectors where pagers remain vital:
1. Healthcare Sector
Pagers are still widely used in the healthcare industry, particularly in hospitals and emergency services. Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff rely on them for their durability, reliable signal reception, and ability to broadcast alerts to multiple people simultaneously.
For example, the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK still uses thousands of pagers. As of 2019, the NHS was reported to use around 130,000 pagers, accounting for over 10% of the world’s pagers. These devices are used to send non-urgent messages or inform medical staff about where to be during emergencies, as they don’t require an immediate response. Pagers are often favored over mobile phones in healthcare due to their simplicity and low cost.
A senior surgeon in the UK explained that pagers remain an efficient way to communicate quickly with large numbers of people, and many pagers can send an alert sound followed by a voice message to entire medical teams at once.
2. Emergency Services
In addition to healthcare, other emergency services like fire departments, police forces, and rescue organizations continue to use pagers. For instance, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the UK uses pagers to alert their crews during emergency situations. The ability to reach multiple individuals simultaneously makes pagers particularly useful in time-sensitive operations.
3. Industrial and Utility Sectors
Pagers are also used in industries such as oil and gas, energy, and transportation where rugged communication tools are necessary. In remote areas, where mobile signals may be weak or unreliable, pagers provide a critical link for coordinating operations. Their long battery life and ability to function in challenging environments make them indispensable for communication in these sectors.
4. Government and Military
Some government and military organizations continue to use pagers for secure communications. Pagers are less susceptible to hacking compared to smartphones and often operate on private networks, offering an extra layer of security. Their usage in these sectors is generally focused on critical communications that need to be quick, secure, and reliable.
5. Aviation
The aviation industry, including airlines and air traffic controllers, also relies on pagers for communication. Pagers are used to alert personnel about schedule changes, flight information, and emergencies. They provide a reliable communication method that does not rely on cellular networks, which can be overwhelmed or disrupted during high-demand situations.
6. Specialty Sectors and Niche Uses
Although pagers are less common today, they still have niche applications. For example, pagers were once popular among criminals for their relative anonymity and inability to be easily tracked, though they have largely been replaced by disposable mobile phones. Additionally, certain industries where real-time, one-way messaging is crucial—like logistics or courier services—may still find pagers useful.
Pagers vs. Mobile Phones
One of the main reasons pagers remain in use is their reliability in emergencies and their long battery life, which is crucial for 24/7 operations. Unlike smartphones, which are susceptible to hacking, network congestion, and short battery life, pagers are simple, cost-effective, and can function without interruptions, especially in high-noise environments like hospitals or remote work areas.
Additionally, pagers can be harder to trace than smartphones, as they don’t use GPS or modern tracking technologies. In the past, this made them an attractive communication tool for criminal organizations, but this use has declined with the rise of disposable mobile phones.
The Global Pager Market
Despite the declining demand, the global pager market still exists, primarily driven by the healthcare and emergency sectors. In 2023, the global pager market was valued at $1.6 billion, according to a report by Cognitiv Market Research. While this is a small fraction of the global smartphone market, it shows that pagers still play a role in specific sectors where reliable and immediate communication is essential.
The report also highlighted that North America and Europe remain the largest markets for pagers, generating $528 million and $496 million in revenue, respectively. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% projected from 2023 to 2030, the demand for pagers, especially in healthcare, could continue to rise as patient numbers increase and communication efficiency becomes even more critical.
In summary, while pagers have become outdated for general public use, they continue to play an essential role in sectors where reliability, long battery life, and broad signal reach are more important than the capabilities offered by smartphones.