pager Also known as a beeper, after the beeping sound some use as an alert. A small terminal device that receives radio signals from a base station. Pagers generally are receive-only devices for alerts or text messaging, although some can receive recorded voice messages, and some have two-way text messaging capabilities. Tone-only pagers cause the device to emit an audible tone or perhaps to vibrate or blink in non-disruptive silent mode. Numeric pagers are capable of receiving and displaying numeric characters. Alphanumeric pagers are capable of receiving and displaying both alphabetic and numeric characters. Relatively few pagers currently can support the storage of voice messages. See also paging system. |