Pager, Beeper, Lebanon Explosion, UPSC Current Affairs.

PAGER ATTACKS IN LEBANON

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Context:

Pager attack on Hezbollah: Blasts in multiple parts of the Middle Eastern country surprised the Iran-backed Hezbollah as two of its fighters and an 8-year-old girl were killed.

What are pagers?

Pagers, also known as beepers, are wireless communication devices.
The basic functions of the devices are to receive and display alphanumeric or voice messages via radio frequencies from a base station or a central dispatch.
The messages generally aim to alert the users.

How do pagers operate technically?

These small-sized devices emit a tone, beep or vibration to notify users about incoming messages which is useful in noisy environments where silence is preferred, like hospitals, explaining why some medical professionals still use them.
Pagers work in dedicated radio frequencies designed to send and receive messages over these frequencies.
The range of pagers depends on the frequency band used and the coverage area of the paging network.
Unlike mobile phones, pagers have longer battery life and last for several days on a single charge making it a key reason to use them in certain professional settings.

Use history of this device

The first pager was patented in the US in 1949 by inventor Alfred Gross. The term "pager" was officially registered in 1959 by Motorola.
Motorola's first pager, the Pageboy 1 created in 1964, allowed an audible alert to be sent by telephone before the technology was perfected and allowed, from the 80s, to send written messages.
The newer models were equipped with a small screen, enabling them to display short messages directly on the device.
61 million pagers were in circulation worldwide in 1994.
However, by the 1990s, mobile phones started to replace these little devices.

Why are pagers still being used to communicate?

Some groups and organisations are still using this device across the world.
These devices are still in use by emergency services or public safety personnel as modern pager system coverage provides reliable and quick service.
The terrestrial-based cellular networks can shut down in some cases, such as during natural or man-made disasters, making them unreliable in certain circumstances.
It led public safety professionals to adopt pagers over cellular and other commercial services for critical messages.

Why does Hezbollah use pagers?

Being a paramilitary group, Hezbollah uses pagers for communication to protect against any security lapses as these are less traceable than mobiles.
Pagers leave a small electronic footprint for communication making it less vulnerable to hacking or surveillance.
These devices are simple to use and able to transmit basic messages without Internet or cellular networks, reducing risks.
Pagers are even good to work in areas where there is poor mobile coverage, making them an ideal choice for Hezbollah's operational needs.

Gaza war and increase in pager use

After the war in Gaza began in 2023, Hezbollah apparently warned its members to not use mobile phones for fear that they could be tampered with by Israeli intelligence agents.
Given the restriction, Hezbollah were using pagers to communicate.

Lebanon pager explosion

It is very unlikely that a pager could explode, however, any electronic device with a battery has a slight chance of exploding for different reasons like manufacturing defects, battery failure, or exposure to extreme conditions (like overheating or physical damage).
The lithium batteries used in the pager are most likely the reason behind the explosions.
Lebanon incidents causing serious injuries to Hezbollah members, claimed Israel involvement for these modified or tampered devices than standard commercial pagers.

Supply chain infiltration?

Several experts were suspecting that the Israelis may have infiltrated the supply chain, and likely lined each of the devices with military-grade explosives.

About Lebanon

Lebanon is a country in the Levant region of West Asia.
It is bounded to the north and east by Syria, to the south by Israel, and to the west by the Mediterranean Sea.
Area- 10,452 square kilometres.
Beirut is the country's capital and largest city.
Geographical facts
Coastline- 225 km.
Highest point- Qurnat as Sawda'
Lowest point - Mediterranean Sea
Longest river- Litani River
Largest lake - Lake Qaraoun
Climate - Mediterranean climat.
Natural resources - Limestone, iron ore, salt, arable land.
Religion: Muslims compose around 60% of the population, most of which are of the Sunni or Shia branches. Christians make up 39%.
Issues: Sectarian violence has been a problem in Lebanon.