ERMES


ERMES was a pan-European radio paging system.

Technical specification

In 1990, the European Telecommunications Standard Institute developed the European Telecommunications Standard ETS 300 133 for ERMES operating in the frequency band 169.4125-169.8125 MHz.

Transmission parameters

During the 1990s, ERMES aimed to achieve a standardised digital platform throughout Europe. It was intended that paging systems based on the ERMES standard would be able to receive text messages transmitted from personal computers, enabling companies to contact their employees over the PSTN. Also, GSM handsets would receive ERMES messages on their displays.
ERMES was most widely used in France, where around one million ERMES pagers were in use in 1998. Also in 1998, an ERMES MoU organisation was set up, to lobby for its adoption as the European standard.

Failure

ERMES never achieved recognition as a leading paging standard. There were questions over costs and also the ERMES standard was in competition with the US-based FLEX standard, a rivalry seen at the time as damaging to the development of the paging industry in Europe. Ultimately paging technology was largely superseded by SMS text messaging.
In 1999, it was decided that the 169.4-169.8 MHz frequency band would no longer be reserved for the sole use of ERMES and this frequency band was later reassigned to different use.