Here's an interesting article about a pager using the FM band, from France and being introduced in Quebec:
telus.com
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MONTREAL, March 2 /CNW/ - InterPage, a Montreal-based
private concern, will be the first company in the world to
market a pocket-sized telecommunications device which
will serve as a voice pager and as a receptor for both text
and graphic data. Called MobiVoxTM, this innovative
communications tool which uses MobiDARC® technology
was developed in France by Info Telecom.
"Until now, no company could offer digital voice
messaging in Canada. With MobiVoxTM we can offer a
service which guarantees the secure transmission of voice
and data messages via the FM sub-carrier transmission
bands which run parallel to radiophone transmission
bands," states Max LaRoche, Vice-president and General
Manager of InterPage. "We are proud to be the first
company in the world to put this new technology to use."
USING MOBIVOXTM
The MobiVoxTM service allows users to receive voice
messages in the sender's own voice via a unit similar in
size to standard pagers currently in use and replay them
at will. The unit's 98-message/32-minute capacity is
seven times greater than that of the technology used by
competing international services. Users can choose to
receive messages in Auto Mode, or be alerted to incoming
messages by sound, light, or vibration.
TARGET MARKETS
MobiVoxTM is an exceptional tool for organisations which
manage emergency and crisis situations in the public and
private sectors since the data transmitted by the system
is encrypted to protect the confidentiality of the
messages. Besides receiving individual messages,
MobiVoxTM users can, thanks to InterPage's remote
programming service, use each pager's 16 individual
addresses to create 'paging lists' for use in emergencies.
"From now on, using MobiVoxTM, groups such as police, fire
departments, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and public
security workers, as well as members of corporate
response teams can simultaneously receive the
information they need to react quickly during a crisis
situation. As well, it is the ideal pager for the
sight-impaired," explains Max LaRoche.
MobiVoxTM will be marketed at a price of $344. onto which
is added a monthly subscription fee of $13.95. InterPage
will offer discounts for bulk or group purchases, as well as
lease and lease-to-buy options.
THE TERRITORY
MobiVoxTM, which has been in service since January 15,
1999 in the Greater Montreal area, begins its marketing
program today. From March 22nd the service will be
available in Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres, Sherbrooke, and
in Hull. All of Quebec will have full service by the end of
1999 thanks to a vast network of FM transmission
antennae operating in the province. InterPage predicts
that it will serve 7,500 subscribers by the end of the year.
MOBILE ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE
"Since our pager is compatible with FM networks around
the world, the MobiVoxTM system will allow us to offer
wireless service on national and international scales once
the technology is in place. Already companies in the
United States, China, Brazil, Thailand, and Russia have -
or have made plans to - acquire the technology. Some of
them will actually begin operations by mid-1999," adds
LaRoche.
EXPANSION
The MobiVoxTM, technology enables over-and-above
applications to function within the parameters of the
paging service. Beginning in June 1999, MobiVoxTM will
serve as a data receiver with the capability to store two
64K computer files. As well, beginning September 1999,
MobiVoxTM will enable the low cost modem or
Internet-based modificatin of electronic information
panels used by municipalities and companies on highways
and bridges.
Within a few months, InterPage will begin broadcasting
road condition and weather reports to subscribers via the
MobiVoxTM pagers, and will introduce a new unit which will
remote-manage public and private lighting systems for
parks, building, and signage.
EVOLUTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY
MobiVoxTM uses MobiDARC® data-transmission technology
which operates on the 76 KHz FM sub-carrier band, and
which is based on the DARC (Data Radio Channel)
technology. The France-based company Info Telecom has
updated the basic protocol, integrating several new
high-perfomance characteristics. Irius Technologies, a
subsidiary of Info Telecom, is mandated to market turnkey
applications of the MobiDARC® technology on an
international level. InterPage is the first company in the
world to apply this technology commercially.
InterPage is a private concern with head offices in Ville
Saint-Laurent where it employs about twenty people.
Always at the leading edge of wireless
telecommunications, InterPage is known for having
implemented the world's first 840-character pager-based
e-mail service. For more information, please visit their
web site at www.interpage.ca.
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