He bought a small bank that later became his biggest headache, a golf course in Tagaytay, and 20 percent of a paging company.

Perhaps the most drastic response to the policy has come from paging companies.

The paging companies were then applying for cellular telephone licenses.

Omitting the 1 before dialing 646 connects the caller to a private paging company, which is responsible for the message, he said.

All pagers linked to the same paging company receive broadcasts sent over the company's frequency.

But many businesses, like the paging companies, do not have the resources to keep a satellite idling in reserve.

Each bore a message from the paging company: "Congratulations on a successful purchase!"

A better idea is to auction digital licenses to whoever can make good use of the spectrum, whether they be broadcasters, computer or paging companies.

What is more, the increasing use of wireless phones has forced paging companies to slash prices.

As an operator at a paging company, Emma is a modern day messenger.