Abstract: A system for paging mobile stations within a cellular telecommunication system wherein paging areas, which are composed of a plurality of location areas, are created to provide a means for locating a mobile station when the mobile station has not responded to a location area page and without requiring a service area page. The system sends a page request to the location area where the desired mobile station last registered. If a response is not received, the system sends a page request to the paging area which includes a plurality of location areas where the mobile station is likely to be found. If a page response is still not received from the desired mobile station, then a page request will be sent to all of the location areas within the service area.