International S.T.D. here next month

Press, 21 November 1979, Page 5

International S.T.D. here next month

The latest in telecommunication services will be available in Christchurch from next month with the introduction of direct toll dialling overseas. The service will be introduced nationally at 2 a.m. on December 1. but will be available only to those on the subscriber toll dialling system, said the Christchurch Post Office regional engineer fiMr E. 1.. McKechie). A new international exchange installed at Auckland has enabled the introduction of the International Subscriber Dialling and all I.S.D. calls Would go through the exchange, he said. There will be a safeguard of 10 seconds with no charge to the subscriber. This allowed time for the caller to establish the correct number.

The equipment had no safeguard against a child’s picking up the telephone and dialling an overseas number at random, said Mr McKechie. I.S.D. would be available initially to 17 countries which made up 90 per cent of the present international telephone traffic, he said. Direct access to the American data networks was another of the latest developments in international telecommunications. One applicant was awaiting connection in Christchurch. The S'VStem known as 0.A.5.1.5. (Overseas Access Service for Information Systems). gives access to. data bases and remote computing facilities containing information in millions of files and library references. Previously gaining access involved ar international telephone cal through a switchboard open

at.or. An I.S.D. number now gives direct access to the data service. More than 25 big industrial companies are expected to have access to the over--seas computer service earlvi next year. Push-button telephones are also catching on in Christchurch with more than 300 now in use. The telephones were available to those connected through the Christchurch Central, Halswell, and Harewood exchanges provided the telephone was not on a PABX system, said a Christchurch Post Office telephone engineer. Mr B. Patrick. A key pad was fitted into a normal telephone, replacing the dial, and the subscriber called a number by pushing the buttons in rapid succes‘ision, he said.