A specialized mobile radio operator is making plans to offer a pager that operates at 220 MHz.
Angell Communications Inc. announced Wings 220, a single line numeric pager that has the ability to operate within the limitations of 5 kilohertz channel spacing. A Hong Kong-based electronics manufacturing company has developed a prototype.
“We still have a few details to finalize before we can begin to market the product, including [Federal Communications Commission] type acceptance and completing the development of a paging encoder for the 220 systems,” said Marc Angell, president of Angell Communications.
This is the first announcement of plans to market a 220 MHz pager since the FCC released its third Report and Order allowing 220 MHz operators to offer other services besides two-way voice.
Angell said he plans to market paging as a regional value-added service. Eventually, the pager could be integrated into a handheld unit to provide text messaging through a dispatcher, Angell said.
A market exists for 220 MHz paging, said Alan Shark, president of the American Mobile Telecommunications Association. The service will be valuable to customers who need real time paging. The range of 220 MHz service extends further and penetrates better into buildings than paging service operating at higher frequencies, he said.
Companies that choose to offer 220 MHz paging won’t be able to compete with the big paging companies that have the ability to provide nationwide coverage. They don’t have enough channels, and the cost is high, said David Neibert, president of Roamer One, a 220 MHz management company. The service would become an extension of 220 MHz voice service. Most operators are still reviewing their auction strategies and are determining the best investments, said Shark. The auction of additional 220 MHz spectrum is expected to begin by the end of the year.
“I really don’t feel there’s a push to get paging,” said Neibert. “Maybe there’s an opportunity for value-added dispatch service.”
To date, U.S. 220 MHz manufacturers have not announced any intentions of offering a 220 MHz pager, although other companies that use narrowband technology have expressed interest in it, said Neibert.
Developing a 220 MHz pager is a challenge because of the small bandwidth of 220 MHz channels. Paging’s baud rate is too fast for 5 kilohertz channels.
