MOBILE RADIO SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25290, 16 September 1947, Page 8

MOBILE RADIO SERVICE

PROPOSAL BY POST OFFICE POSSIBLE INSTALLATION IN CHRISTCHURCH ' (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 15. If there was a general esire among organisations such as fire boards, free ambulance associations, city council transport departments, taxi associations. and carrying companies authority would be given shortly for the establishment of a mobile two-way radio service at Wellington and Auckland and later at Christchurch, Dunedin. and other centres, said the Post-master-General (Mr F. Hackett) this evening.

Mr Hackett said a conference was held recently in Wellington to discuss the special needs of such organisations and similar conferences would beheld in Auckland. Christchurch, and Dunedin. The Post Office was now interested in ascertaining the degree of interest in the proposed service.

Mr Hackett said Post Office engineering bfficers had been experimenting for some months in the use of very high frequencies. The results of these experiments showed that the Post Office could offer a good service. It ■was- not possible to state the rental costs until' the degree of interest had been ascertained. Basis of Operation

The general basis on which the system would operate would be that subscribers would be linked by telephone line to the post office transmitting and receiving equipment. A subscriber wishing to call up one of his) mobile units would pick up his special telephone, call the particular unit, and carry on a normal two-way conversation. A conversstion to any one unit would be picked up by all other units The possibility of the mobile service’s being linked with the main public* telenhone system could be'considered.

‘‘lt is intended that all telephone lines and fixed radio stations and equipment used in the premises of subscribers will be owned and maintained by the Post Office, the service being provided on a rental basis.” said Mr Hackett. “Subscribers will be reauired to own. maintain, and operate le equipment in their mobile units ”