Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!netsys!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!cos.COM!hplabs!sun!sundc!mgrant
From: hplabs!sun!sundc!mgrant@cos.COM (Michael Grant)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Nationwide Paging
Message-ID: <8803170528.AA06590@cos.com>
Date: 17 Mar 88 05:28:01 GMT
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Organization: The Internet
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Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu

A while ago I did some research on nationwide paging.  I found 2
contenders at the moment.  There are atleast 2 others, Queue and
Megamessage which I was told were not worth looking into.  Queue's
system is based on FM SCA's which just don't work well.  I was told
that Megamessage wasn't really fully up yet, that might have changed
in the last couple of months.

Metrocast
---------

This company uses a pager which scans 14 frequencies in the 150 MHZ
range.  This technique allows them to use already built paging systems
to expand their market.  They say they have fairly complete coverage
in all of the major metropolitian areas.  Their pagers are strictly
alphanumeric.

Pager rental:
$23.00 / month

Service:
$17.00 / month + $1.50 per page (numeric or alphanumeric)
    or
$39.50 / month + $1.50 per alphanumeric page (UNLIMITED numeric paging)

This means:
$40.00 / month + 1.50 per page
    or
$62.50 / month + 1.50 per alphanumeric page (unlimited numeric paging)


National Satelite Paging
-------------------------

This company uses a 900 MHZ pager with satelite down links.  The
coverage is not nearly as complete as Metrocast, and they do not offer
alphanumeric paging at this time but will in the future.  

$25.00 one time connect fee

Pager rental:
$15.00 / month

Service:
$33.00 / month + $0.50 / page
    or
$57.00 / month for unlimited paging

This means:
$48.00 + .50 per page per month
    or
$72.00 per month flat rate


Summary
-------

The advantage to NSP over Metrocast is that your pages go to the
entire country always, (but NSP tells me that this is going to change
in the future).  The advantage of Metrocast over NSP is the coverage
area.  With Metrocast, you tell it what area-code you will be
traveling in, and it sends your pages there.  Both have an 800 number
for which you can review your pages in case you missed one.  Metrocast
operates a 24 hour answering service which you can call to receive
missed pages.  Metrocast uses an alphanumeric pager, but you can send
it only numeric pages if you want.  This permits you to only use the
premium alphanumeric paging on an as needed basis.

I hope this helps you in your quest for information.

-Mike Grant