RADIO TELEPHONE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 169, 1 May 1935, Page 8

RADIO TELEPHONE

PERIOD OF REDUCED CHARGES.

{Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 30. Luring the period immediately following the silver jubilee of his Majesty the King, the Empire is to be drawn closer together by very substantial reductions in the charges for radio telephone calls, states the PostmasterGeneral (the Hen. Adam Hamilton). From May 6 to May 31, it has been decided by mutual agreement between the administrators concerned to reduce the charges for the radio telephone service between the United Kingdom and New Zealand from £2 5s to £1 2s 6d a minute, with a minimum charge of £3 7s 6d. Similar reductions are being effected in the case of calls between the United Kingdom and other parts of the Empire. Slight permanent reductions in the charges for the radio telephone service between New Zealand and Ireland and between New Zealand and the Isle of v Man are also being introduced. In the case of Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, it is proposed, as a permanent measure, to reduce the basic charge from £2 7s to £2 5s a minute. In the case of tire Irish Free State (Lublin only), the basic rate is being permanently reduced from £2 7s to £2 6s a minute. Luring the jubilee period these rates will be reduced by approximately 50 per cent. Although the permanent charges for the radio telephone service from New Zealand are reasonable compared with those for similar services operating in other parts of the world, the Minister stated that they precluded the use of the radio telephone except for private and business conversations of the highest importance, and the traffic had consequently been far below the capacity of the available channels. No doubt during the jubilee period much greater advantage would be taken of the service. Radio telephone communication was first made available between Australia and England on April 30, 1930, and between Australia and New Zealand on November 25 of the same year. The complete radio link between New Zealand' and 1 the United Kingdom was made available on July 23, 1931, and the service, while not used to anything, like its full capacity, lias been' on occasions of very great value to the Government and the business community.