Despite being largely replaced by smartphones, pagers remain in use in certain industries due to their reliability, simplicity, and security, experts told Khaleej Times. These comments come in the wake of the recent Lebanon explosions, where pager devices were used to detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs), resulting in 12 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries.
Rayad Kamal Ayub, a Dubai-based IT security expert and managing director of Rayad Group, explained that pagers are still relevant today because they operate on private, standalone systems, making them less vulnerable to hacking and surveillance. “Pagers leave a small electronic communication footprint and are not connected to any public networks, such as the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network),” said Ayub. He added that pagers remain a secure backup for sending short messages, especially in environments where mobile phone signals are unreliable.
Pagers, which once dominated communication in the 1980s and 1990s among professionals like doctors and journalists, were largely phased out by the rise of mobile phones. However, they have not become entirely obsolete. Rex Bacarra, Ph.D., a Philosophy and Ethics professor based in Abu Dhabi, noted that although pagers are outdated for everyday use in 2024, they continue to play a crucial role in industries such as healthcare, where they are used in hospitals to summon doctors to emergencies.
“Pagers are still relevant because they are simple, reliable, and operate effectively in areas with low signal,” Bacarra told Khaleej Times. He also pointed out that pagers, while not encrypted like modern smartphones, are still generally considered safe if they haven’t been tampered with.
However, Ayub warned that pagers, like any electronic device, can be dangerous if modified with malicious intent. “The hardware could have been tampered with before delivery to users, making it possible to convert pagers into IEDs,” he said. He advised consumers to purchase electronics from trusted sources to avoid tampered devices.
The recent pager explosions in Lebanon have drawn international condemnation. Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, demanded accountability, calling the blasts “shocking” and their impact on civilians “unacceptable.” The explosions killed 12 people, including two children, and injured thousands.
Despite the tragic misuse of pagers in Lebanon, experts agree that both pagers and mobile phones are generally safe when used appropriately. The question remains whether the benefits of these devices outweigh the risks, a balance that both Ayub and Bacarra suggest is crucial to consider in today’s digital age.
