INTER-ISLAND TOLL CALLS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 268, 24 August 1946, Page 4

INTER-ISLAND TOLL CALLS

NEW TELEPHONE CARRIER SYSTEM OPERATION NEXT MONTH (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 23. The Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C. Webb) said yesterday that an event of considerable importance to telephone communications would lake place on September 2. This was the putting into service of a second 12-channel telephone carrier system across Cook Strait. “For some time now the delay on toll calls between the North and South Islands during certain hours of the day have been causing the Post Office a good deal of concern,” said the Minister, “and in order to alleviate the position at the earliest possible date every effort has been made to expedite the work of installing the new telephone equipment. Although much has been done during recent years to provide additional toll outlets, particularly between the main centres in the North Island and in the South Island, there has always been something of a ‘bottle neck’ between Wellington and the South Island. Some relief was provided in 1944, when the first 12ehannel carrier system across Cook Strait was brought intouse, but even with the additional toll outlets so provided the number of circuits available between Wellington and Christchurch was not sufficient to meet the growing traffic.”

The Minister said that the introduction of the second 12-cliannel system would effect a very marked improvement in the inter-island toll service. Between Wellington and Christchurch 14 toll circuits would be available instead of the eight at present. Three circuits would he available between Wellington and Dunedin as compared with one at present, while the Wellington to Blenheim outlets would be increased from four to five and the Wellington 'to Nelson outlets from two to three.

While it was possible that there would still he some little delay in connecting toll calls between subscribers in the North Island and those in the South Island during the peak morning and evening periods, the Minister said that when the additional outlets were in operation a greatly improved toll service could he anticipated.