In a film by Hong Kong director Hong Chin-bow, the windbreaker and black pants, the broad-brimmed hat, the dark glasses and the cigarette butt hanging from his mouth all mark star Chou Jun-fa's status as a "big brother." His underlings protect him as he walks along. Suddenly "big brother" thinks of something. He signals and his lackey scurries over, gripping a black, telephone receiver-like object. It certainly looks like a telephone, but there's no cord. "Big brother, call!" (ta-ko, ta) says the hood in offering up the phone.

"Big brother, call!" Hear tell that's how the mobile telephone got its nickname, ta-ko-ta, which translates literally as "big brother, big" but with the second big as a homophone for "call."

"BB call" is a lot simpler. It gets its name from the "beep-beep" sound it emits. The popularity of these two devices reveals the "information fever" sweeping the Taiwan area.

Perhaps few people know that the number of pagers in Taiwan just might be another world number one. This isn't exaggeration--according to statistics of the Directorate General of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Communications, the number of users of pagers in Taiwan has already reached 750,000, and is increasing at a rate of 30,000 a month. The DGT estimates that by July, 1992, 13 out of every 100 people will be carrying a pager, exceeding the current figures for Hong Kong (11), the US (6.25), and Japan (3.5). It could very well become the area with the highest rate of ownership of pagers in the world.

The growth rate for mobile phones is also startling. Currently there are more than 58,000 users, still less than Hong Kong and Japan. But since the import of hand-held mobile phones (these are the ones known as ta-ko-ta) was officially permitted in July, the number of users has increased at a rate of 8,000 per month. The DGT estimates that in less than two years, Taiwan will catch up to Hong Kong, where the ta-ko-ta is already quite common.

In Western countries, the use of pagers already goes back 30 years. But the concentration of use is nothing like in East Asian countries--like Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore--where they have become popular only in the last ten years or so. High population density, intense competitiveness, and high mobility in business structure are all reasons why these areas are "latecomers on top."

Today, we have already entered the ranks of these pacesetters, and have considerable potential to "outshine one's own teacher." Huang Mu-tsun, division chief of the Commercial Department of the DGT, points out that mobile phones and pagers both come under the area of wireless communicators. Their unique asset is that "you can find somebody anytime, even if you don't know where they are." This function, allowing the never-in-one-place moderns to keep in touch with each other, naturally is well received.

Innovation and progress in machines also speed their growth. Huang Mu-tsun notes that in the past pagers could only emit a very mechanical "bee-bee" burp. But now there are "display types" which show numbers and symbols on the small screen. In the future the display system will come on the market. At that time it seems certain that even more people will use the pagers.

And mobile phones have evolved from the five or six kg "portables," heavy as a briefcase, which included a battery pack, to the current "hand-held" types, whose weight is not very different from an ordinary receiver. Some are even smaller than receivers, and can be carried in a pocket; from a little ways off one looks like a notebook.

The frantic pace of life and the jammed-up traffic make Taipei city the place with the highest concentration of pagers and mobile phones in the Taiwan area. Yue Chin-yi, Director of the Technical Department of the DGT, points out that from the moment driving is no longer easy, to a total inability to move, and it is inconvenient to pull over to make a call, then the spread and development of wireless technologies will be imminent. Although a survey by the DGT showed that use of the mobile phone in a traffic jam only accounts for 2.16% of all use, "buying 'peace of mind' is the way most people look at it," says Director Yue.

This is really the main factor behind the development of these two devices: crisis communications. Especially for the mobile phone, "basically it's a tool to 'break bad news, not report good news'," says Mr. Yue. It's not for casual chatting or cooing, but is only used when things get extremely tight.

As in other countries, those whose jobs require them to undertake "outdoor activities" are the most common users of pagers and mobile phones. These include salesmen, police, reporters, doctors, actors, firemen, taxi drivers, and so on. But in addition, because mobile phones haven't been on the market for long, and are expensive (each one costs NT$50-80,000, with a monthly fee of NT$2,300, with calls costing $1.1 per five seconds, regardless of whether the call is local or long distance), sometimes they serve as an accessory to express status. A survey done in Sweden about the use of mobile phones revealed that more than 34% of users bought the phones because they "improve my reputation."

Chen Chun Long, who represents a variety of brands of pagers and mobile phones, argues that besides the requirement of emergency contact, among local businesses, having a mobile phone in hand also carries other meanings: I'm rich, I'm important, I'm always on the go. . . . This symbolism beyond the function of the device seems to say something as well about the culture of Taiwan's commercial society which is pretty fascinating.

Like mobile phones, pagers also seem to have a purpose beyond the instrument itself. Because a pager is cheaper--about NT$6,000 for the unit and a monthly fee of NT$500-800--some people buy one as a "toy." Director Yue has run into quite a few dads who give their kids a pager. "Their purpose probably isn't to keep track of the child, but they give it as a gift of the latest technology."

Chen Chun Long also notes that there are a few high school students among his clients. They carry the pagers around to call each other as a form of entertainment. Ask them why: "It's very cool!" says Chen, quoting their answer.

Mobile phones and pagers are both forms of wireless communications equipment, but the former is two-way, and can receive or send information at any time. But because the costs are steep, a number of people only use their mobile phones to receive, and don't call out.

Because the cost of a pager is lower, the rate of use is high. A new profession "telephone secretary" has just this October established a union, and there are already more than two hundred companies registered.

In the Chunsheng Telephone Secretary Company run by Wang Hui-hsi, who is also a director of the Taipei City Telephone Secretaries Union, there are five or six operators taking messages from all over, and notifying clients in turn.

"I'd like to get in touch with Chang Ssu-ping, his number is 1338. . . ."

"What's your surname please?"

"Lin."

"And the message you want to leave is. . . . "

"Please tell him to call his office."

Besides acting as a way station for taking and passing along messages, telephone secretaries also provide other services like fixed time calls (like wake up or reminder calls), prepared messages, call screening, or call transfers. "If a secretary can do it, then a telephone secretary can do it, too," says Wang Hui-hsi.

"A business with a posture that demands speed and competitiveness is the most fertile ground for the development of the wireless communication industry," says Luke C.H. Liu, president of Best Communications, Inc. and general manager of telephone manufacturer Sun Moon Star. Wait until next year when the DGT will open up its character display paging system, then telephone secretaries can type the message directly into a computer, and send it directly to be displayed on the screen. Those being called can skip the process of calling to find out the message. It's not only convenient, the message contents are accurate; it's especially beneficial for numerical data.

Even now the telephone secretary industry is on the task. The leaders look forward to the time when Taiwan will be like Hong Kong and Japan, when everybody who plays the stock market or does futures will carry a pager.

But even before the display type models are available for use, Taiwan entrepreneurs in the field have already shown their ever-present flexibility and adaptability. They are turning symbol and number display pagers "from messy to magic."

For example, someone has already come up with a system whereby the numbers represent words, so that "5" means "1," "2" means "you," "7" means "go," and "0" means kou, a word that sounds like, and takes the place of, "call" or "get in touch with." Thus, 5(1430)02 means "I will call you at 2:30 this afternoon." If the last two numbers are changed to 702, it means "will call on you." This kind of message method is really interesting, but whether or not it's more effective to communicate will be decided in the mind of each individual user.

Luke Liu believes that if the users believe that this kind of communications device is a "definite need," and is helpful to communicate, then no matter if it's a broadcast mobile phone or a pager which requires going through a transfer process, people won't feel it is a bother to use it.

But if the users are reluctant, like sales-people who spend most of their time out of the office and see the pager or mobile phone as something for the boss to use to control them or to follow them around, then these types of equipment will become a burden on people.

In the harried world of a commercial society, the popularity of pagers and mobile phones, besides revealing the ever-shrinking space between people, also shows that people are constantly striving to communicate--to use any kind of technology they can get their hands on to break out of communications impasses. But what really makes one reflect is that with modern people all busily trying to build their own personal space, why do things like the BB call and ta-ko-ta--which can at any time invade one's personal space--remain so well received? Is it that nothing can avoid the pressure to pursue ever greater efficiency in a commercial society? Or is it that city people have been estranged for too long?

[Picture Caption]

Commercial competition is intense in urban areas, and the pace of life is fast. There are good opportunities for the development of the market for pagers and mobile phones.

Many parents buy wireless communications gear for the kids, just to give the kids the fun of getting the technology while they're still young. (photo by Arthur Cheng)

This is a common scene now in Taipei restaurants. Some places are worried that the ring of the mobile phone will bother diners, so they ask customers to check them at the desk, where waiters will answer them for you.

Telephone secretary is a new job type, answering incoming calls, "beeping" the clients, and passing the word along.

Modern people carry a lot with them when they go out the door! The person in the photo is a photographer.

The composition of numbers can mean things like "bank," "traffic jam," "overtime," "I miss you," and other common messages. They are displayed clearly on the screen for both sending and receiving.

There is a long line of people who have applied to get mobile phones or ta-ko-ta, revealing the Taiwan area's communications fever.

Many parents buy wireless communications gear for the kids, just to give the kids the fun of getting the technology while they're still young. （photo by Arthur Cheng）

This is a common scene now in Taipei restaurants. Some places are worried that the ring of the mobile phone will bother diners, so they ask customers to check them at the desk, where waiters will answer them for you.

Telephone secretary is a new job type, answering incoming calls, "beeping" the clients, and passing the word along.

Modern people carry a lot with them when they go out the door! The person in the photo is a photographer.

The composition of numbers can mean things like "bank," "traffic jam," "overtime," "I miss you," and other common messages. They are displayed clearly on the screen for both sending and receiving.

There is a long line of people who have applied to get mobile phones or ta-ko-ta, revealing the Taiwan area's communications fever.