Radio Paging Services

David S. O’Brien, Director

The Physical Plant Division through the competitive bid process selected Arch Paging to provide radio paging services for the University faculty, staff, and students. The University’s operated radio paging system will be de-commissioned February 27, 1998. Thus, UF units requiring radio paging services and are currently using UF’s system are encouraged to switch over to the selected vendor, Arch Paging.

UF users of the present University system may have noticed a deterioration of service over the last two years. This is because another radio paging vendor is currently transmitting on our same paging frequency. UF’s license of the paging frequency was not exclusive. The University system was only designed to provide coverage of the Campus. It was a plus that it also covered most of Alachua County and a little beyond before the interference.

Arch Paging’s contract with the University provides four levels of coverage for numeric (digital) and alphanumeric service, i.e., Regional, State wide, Southeast Regional, and National. Voice paging is also offered but only in Regional coverage which is the northern half of Florida.

Under this contract, UF departments have several options of using the service.

• UF users with existing pager units can exchange on a one-per-one basis their old pager unit with Arch Paging provided paging units. UF departments can exchange their old voice or numeric pagers for voice, numeric, or alphanumeric pagers. The replacement units become the property and the responsibility of the UF departments.
• If a department does not have old pagers to exchange for new pagers or a department requires additional pagers, the departments may purchase or lease them from Arch Paging.
• Arch Paging will be contacting UF departments using UF’s paging system to arrange a visitation to explain the service and features and to make arrangements to switch them over to the new service. If your department has not been contacted, you can visit Arch Paging’s local business site located at 2416 SW 34th Street or call them at 352-374-6700.

Additional information on the radio paging service options and the four levels of coverage can be obtained by visiting the Physical Plant Web URL www.ppd.ufl.edu/ops/telecomm/beeper.htm.

This contract also allows radio paging services to be extended to personal use by faculty, staff, and students. However, personal services are granted only for the purchase option, and the user will have to pay in advance for an entire year’s worth of service. For example, if a faculty chooses to have paging services for his/her own use and wishes to have numeric Regional coverage, the total cost for the first year will be $55.00 for the cost of the pager unit plus $40.20 for the service or a total of $95.20 to be paid by credit card — all prepaid.

Some of the options and prices offered by this contract are:

Lease

Service Coverage

Option/Item	Type	Area	Price per Month
1.	Numeric	Regional	$4.75
2.	Numeric	Statewide	$5.95
5.	Alphanumeric	Regional	$7.15
6.	Alphanumeric	Statewide	$8.35
9.	Voice	Regional	$13.10

Exchange or User Purchases Pager Unit

Service Coverage

Option/Item	Type	Area	Price per Month
13.	Numeric	Regional	$3.35
14.	Numeric	Statewide	$3.95
17.	Alphanumeric	Regional	$5.90
18.	Alphanumeric	Statewide	$6.50
21.	Voice	Regional	$9.50

Again, for a complete listing of options offered that includes voice mail, group call, pager maintenance, lost protection, and exceptional purchase prices for paging units, please visit the Web site.

You can visit Arch Paging’s local business site located at 2416 SW 34th Street, Gainesville. They will be able to provide additional information and present the paging units that can be leased and purchased.

Physical Plant is pleased to offer this paging service to the University of Florida and its faculty, staff, and students. If you have any questions concerning Radio Paging Services, please contact Telecommunications 2-1146 or Arch Paging at 374-6700.