TELEPHONE WAITING LIST REDUCED

Press, Volume C, Issue 29712, 4 January 1962, Page 8

TELEPHONE WAITING LIST REDUCED

Although a record number of 9296 new telephone connexions was made in 1961. compared with 6049 in 1960, a waiting lis<. of 4995 remained at the end of the year, the Post Office regional engineer (Mr L D. Barley) said yesterday. demand has been phenomenal and I think much of it is the result of interest in the service created by the new connexions themselves,” he added “At any rate, we are better off than at the beginning of 1961. At that time there was a waiting list of 7406 Of these. 1333 were signed up for service, leaving a balance of 6073. for whom we could not for the meantime provide service. On January 1 this year, 797 of our waiting-list were signed up leaving 4198 not in process of connexion Our net improvement for those not in process is thus just under 2000

“Unfortunately, due to the few exchange numbers still available under the present five-figure system, it will probably not be possible in 1962 to equal the number of new connexions made last year, but it is hoped to keep pace with the demand “The big year will be 1963. when six-figure numbering is due to be introduced We hope to reduce the waiting list substantially by the end of that year." Of the city exchangee, only Riccarton and Islington had room for appreciable numbers

o: new subscribers on the five-figure dialling system, added Mr Bewley At Shirley, Fendalton, and Papanui, however, equipment was, or would soon be available which could not be integrated into the five-figure system, but which would be utilised as soon as possible on an “in-calling” semi-automatic system Under this system the subscriber would be able to dial anywhere in the Christchurch exchange area, but other subscribers could only reach him through a switchboard operator The switchboard would be in the central exchange, but the main automatic gear would be in the satellite exchanges where it could be changed over simply to full automatic working when the sixfigure system was introduced During busy hours about nine operators would be needed to man the switchboard. In this way about 1000 new subscribers would get service in the Shirley exchange area, the same number in Fendalton and about 600 in Papanui The proposals for Papanui would not affect subscribers already signed on for the fully automatic extensions tc that exchange.