Telephone exchange for Avonhead

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 14

Telephone exchange for Avonhead

Two Japanese engineers will come to Christchurch to help Post Office technicians install telephone switching equipment at the new Avonhead exchange.

I The engineers, from the company which won the contract for the equipment, will; | also help Post Office techni-j icians to master the intrica-l jcies of maintaining the equipment. The new Avonhead exchange will be needed especially for the Commonwealth i Games village at Ham, and Ito serve a rapidly growing residential area. The Regional Engineer of 'the Post Office (Mr D. M. Davies) said yesterday that the new exchange would i have cross-bar switching I gear, which is more sophisticated than the present step--by-step automatic equiprnent. In the cross-bar system. I the telephone caller dials into] a central “brain” which sorts; out each individual set of im- 1

pulses which connect to the inumber of the person being called. I The old step-by-step system at present in use throughout [most of New Zealand sets up calls by moving from switch to switch and collecting the digits of the number being called. The new system will offer a wider range of facilities in telephone communications than the Post Office is at present readily able to provide. For example, it will assist the introduction of subscriber toll direct dialling because it is able to record the details of who called who and how much it cost. Cross-bar equipment is [planned for the new extensions to the Hereford Street (exchange, and will prompt the introduction of subscriber toll direct dialling.