No Automatic Exchange Yet For Duvauchelle

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32336, 30 June 1970, Page 6

No Automatic Exchange Yet For Duvauchelle

The Post Office had no early plans for replacing the Duvauchelle manual telephone exchange with an automatic system, the Akaroa County Council was told last week. The Postmaster-General (Mr A. McCready) told the council in a letter that Post Office funds could not be allocated at this stage for the costly replacement of a system that was giving satisfactory service. If Duvauchelle was to have an automatic exchange, he said, the switching equipment at Okains Bay and Pidgeon Bay would also have to be replaced. “These exchanges interwork with the Duvauchelle exchange and their present equipment is not suitable for interworking with automatic exchanges,” said Mr McCready. “The replacement of the three exchanges will there fore be a sizeable project and, with the heavy call on the telephone development resources available to the Post Office, it has not been possible to set a time for the work.” Mr McCready said the Post Office received each year in its vote for telecommunica tions development an amount which could not be overspent The first priority in allocating

these resources was given to works needed to provide tele phones for persons without the service. “This involves the establishment of new exchanges in growing areas, an extension of existing exchanges, and the replacement of manual exchanges that can no longer meet the needs of their districts,” he said. “It is therefore not possible to give priority to the replacement of exchanges such as Duvauchelle, that can provide a satisfactory standard of service for a further period. “It is realised that most subscribers prefer automaticservice and I am sorry that it will be some years yet before the Duvauchelle exchange can be replaced."