WIRELESS TELEPHONY

Evening Star, Issue 17764, 12 September 1921, Page 2

WIRELESS TELEPHONY

INTERISLAND SERVICE. MR SHRIMPTON’S SUGGESTIONS. In reporting to the Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates) on his recent visit to Europe and America, the Chief Telegraph Engineer-(Mr A. E. Shrimpton) discusses the subject of telephonic communication between -the North and South Islands. He expresses the opinion that wireless telephony will provide a practical proposition for the opening up of an interisland telephone service. “There are two mediums by which a toll service, can be established between the North and South . Islands,’’ said Mr Shrimpton. “These are (1) by a submarine cable, ( 2) by wireless. If such'a service is opened to the public, at least three channels must bo available—i.e., provision must be mads for three pairs of persons to hold simultaneous conversations.”

After ■ referring .to experiments which are being mads by experts in many parts of the world, and especially in America, Mr Shrimpton proceeded:- “The American Telephone and Telegraph Company is laying what I shall call ' mystery cables ’ from Key West to Cuba. These cables are to provide telephone and telegraph facilities, and are not metallic for the whole of the distance—about' 100 miles—but have an insulated 1 return for the greater portion of their length. The insulated portion is continuously loaded. The cables are being manufactured in England, and the first one was expected to be laid in February. What the American Telephone and Telegraph Company expects to get out of Hiese cables has not been disclosed by its engineers. Indeed, from what I hear in America, I believe that exactly what facilities these extraordinary cables will provide is really unknown, and will only be determined after they are laid and‘tried out. I certainly would recommend deferring consideration of laying a submarine telephone cable across Cook Strait until the result of these Cuban cables is known. The cost of such cables will be considerably less than the class of cable* usually considered essential for telephone purposes under such waters as Cook Strait.”

Specifications are being prepared for three or four channel wireless telephone installations for working from Wellington to Blenheim and Christchurch, and when these are ready they will be submitted to onc or two companies specialising in such equipment. The results will be communicated to the Minister with a recommendation. Mr Shrimpton also recommends charging for the telephone service by an area rate, in place of a rate based on the conductor length of the circuit.