The telecommunications revolution: faxes, e-mail and text messages in the palm of you hand.

Faxes, e-mails and text messages in the palm of your hand

Not long ago, pagers and cellular phones were the crowning achievement in wireless communications. Although bulky, both devices allowed us to be in touch like never before. But now, pagers and cellular phones are as common as the cold, and can do much more than just beep and ring. Voice messages, text messages and even e-mail can now be sent via the airwaves. Indeed, a wireless revolution is under way as businesspeople, individuals and families make the most of a slew of new services made possible by telecommunications advancements.

Wireless communication is achieved by using radio trans-mitters installed in cell sites to send analog and digital signals to and from your pager or cellular phone.

In 1994, the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the nation's airwaves, auctioned off additional spectrum channels for a range of new, digital wireless services, touching off a wave of companies offering enhanced wireless services and products. The recently introduced personal communications services (PCS) allow transmission of digital signals rather than the traditional analog signal. PCS allow a host of new data to be transmitted to cellular phones and other communications devices, including e-mail and text messages.

Omnipoint Communications Services Inc. in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, has entered the PCS market with a number of data services, including a PCS telephone that also offers Internet access, e-mail, paging and enhanced telephone services such as caller ID. The Omnipoint handset can also be plugged into a laptop computer to transmit documents.

"What we have tried to do is to give people a lot of different options on what they can do and how they can use the service," says Omnipoint spokesman John Grotland, noting that PCS offer much higher voice quality than traditional cellular phone systems. The basic service offered by Omnipoint is $19.95 per month, although the handset is purchased separately. However, PCS service is currently available only in limited geographic areas.

As in the early days of cellular telephones when coverage areas were largely limited to urban population centers, coverage for PCS data services, such as faxing and wireless Internet, also will be limited at first.

"If you look at a map of the United States showing regular voice cellular coverage, there's not a town or interstate you can go to and not be able to use your phone," says Jack Brantley, vice president of InterServ Information Service Group in Atlanta, which operates COMWATCH, a unit that tracks business and consumer telecommunications trends. "But if you look at wireless data, it is very spotty."

But PCS telephones aren't the only new option for wireless telecommunications. Some devices are aiming to replace the PC as a means for receiving e-mail--at least when you're on the go.

One of the benefits of wireless technologies is that they untether users from their computers as a means of retrieving information. In some cases, they preclude the need for a computer, says Ann Wood, sales coordinator for Wireless Services Corp. The Bellevue, Washington-based firm offers AirNote Wireless E-mail, which allows people to receive e-mail via a pager.

For a monthly cost of $11.95, AirNote lets users of alphanumeric pagers have their e-mail messages transmitted in real time directly to their pagers or fax machines. The service can be configured to filter out certain less important messages, such as junk e-mail, while being alerted to priority messages from clients or bosses. AirNote can be used with numeric pagers as well, although unlike alphanumeric pagers, you will receive only a notification that you have e-mail rather than the entire message.

RadioMail Corp. of San Mateo, California, is another wireless company with Internet messaging at the heart of its product line. It offers a service via a PC card called RadioMail, a package of wireless communications options, including e-mail, faxing, paging and news and stock market access for about $88 a month. According to a company spokesperson, a similar package would have demanded an initial technology investment of more than $1,000 just a few years ago. And the increased competition and availability of a plethora of new services will make these devices even more affordable for consumers.

Although digital wireless data services are moving into the mainstream for personal consumer use, today their biggest use remains for business. Global Village Communication Inc. of Sunnyvale, California, is targeting the small business and home office segments with its NewsCatcher personalized news service, says Randy Stock, director of product marketing for Global Village. The NewsCatcher network collects information from major Internet content providers like Reuters, SportsLine and Quote.com etc. and personalizes and filters it for users.

Designed to let small businesses and home offices work more efficiently with fewer tools and space, the network is based on wireless technology. Therefore, users don't need an Internet service provider or modem to retrieve information. Data is transmitted and downloaded to the user computer's hard drive via a receiver that attaches to the computer. The receiver costs $99 and the service is $24.95 per month after the first year.

The market for wireless telecommunications services is growing steadily, with no dearth of products to meet the demand.