It’s because they don’t use the same wireless networks as phones and have like a 96h battery life. That’s why hospitals give them to doctors. And plenty of people still use walkie-talkies because they work (within a certain range) even when nothing else does.

Also, the pager companies are still in business mostly because of the pucks you get at a restaurant that buzz when your table or food is ready. “Obsolete” tech that’s dirt cheap can sometimes hang around for niche use cases.

I have to guess it has something to do with being harder to eavesdrop on

Mosadd was sending Hezbollah too many DickButt memes?

Because military aged men with cell phones catch rq9s, or try real hard to.