Seacom Phone Link Opened

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31333, 1 April 1967, Page 20

Seacom Phone Link Opened

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, March 30.

The voice of the Queen, by telephone from London, today inaugurated the last section of Seacom, the third link in the Commonwealth telephone cable, the Post Office announced.

The Seacom cable is routed from Australia to Singapore via New Guinea, Guam, Hong Kong and North Borneo. It comprises some 8200 statute miles of cable and incorporates 356 submerged repeaters. The total length of a Singa-pore-London telephone circuit is 25,000 statute miles. The Seacom project has been a joint financial enterprise between Britain, Can-: ada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. Cable and Wireless Ltd., the British Post Office and the Commonwealth partners' associated with the project provided the necessary technical resources. The project has been completed in five stages. The laying of sections between Singa-, pore, North Borneo and Hong Kong was aompleted in 1964, the section between Hong Kong and Guam in 1965 and the final stages between Australia and Guam last year, i Opening Ceremony Representatives of six Commonwealth countries joined in the opening ceremony today. The Acting Prime Minister of Singapore, Dr. Toh Chin Cfiye, told his Australian listeners that the link sub-

stantiated Singapore’s claim to be the “gateway to Australia.” Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Malaysian Prime Minister, referred to the cable as “an outstanding example of Commonwealth, as well as inters national, co-operation.” Canada, Australia and Hong Kong also joined in the opening ceremony. “Unique Project” The Prime Minister, Mr Holyoake, described the South-east Asia Commonwealth telephone cable as a "unique project” and an example to the rest of the world in co-operation and collaboration. “1 am very proud that New Zealand has been able to play such an active part in this whole project,” he said. “The success of the cable vividly emphasises the benefits of co-operation and collaboration among members of (the Commonwealth. It is an example for the rest of the world,” he added. . During the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister told guests at the overseas terIminal that the cable had a I special significance for New Zealand—because it linked the Dominion with its South--1 east Asian neighbours.