History of Pagers

A pager is a dedicated RF (radio frequency) device that allows the pager user to receive messages broadcast on a specific frequency over a special network of radio base stations.

The first pager-like system was used in 1921 by the Detroit Police Department. The first time the term "pager" was used was in 1959, it referred to a Motorola radio communications product, a small radio receiver that delivered a radio message individually to those carrying the device. The first pager, as we are familiar with them today, was Motorola's Pageboy I, introduced in 1974. It had no display and could not store messages, but it was portable and notified the wearer that a message had been sent.

By 1980, there were 3.2 million pager users worldwide. Pagers had a limited range, and were used in on-site situations, e.g. medical workers within a hospital.

By 1990, wide-area paging had been invented and over 22 million pagers were in use. By 1994, there were over 61 million pagers in use and pagers became popular for personal use.

Select a Product below to view its history:

• Telephone History
• Cellular History
• Cordless Phone History
• Mobile Phone History
• Pager History