RADIO TELEPHONE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20525, 17 September 1936, Page 4

RADIO TELEPHONE

AWATEA TO OPEN NEW PHASE By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, September 16 Radio-telephony previously associated with calls to Australia and Britain is taking on a new phase, owing to the introduction into the trans-Tasman service of the Union Company's liner “Awatea” with its up-to-date equipment. The Postmaster-General (Hon. F. Jones) announced to-day that the Post Office has arranged a Tasman radio service, by which calls may be exchanged between passengers on the “Awatea” and any of the 130,000 subscribers in New Zealand at all stages of the voyage. “Test communications between the Department’s commercial radio station ZLW and the Awatea during the liner’s voyage to New Zealand,” explained the PostmasterGeneral, "proved that the equipment on the ship and on shore is capable of giving absolutely clear reception over distances much longer than the route between New Zealand and Australia. Therefore, speech can be maintained at any time of the day. It is proposed to charge 3/4 per minute, with a minimum of 10/- (three minutes) and the calling schedule having regard to radio watches maintained on the Awatea will range over a period from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m., while the Sunday calling hours will be 5.30 p.m. till 8.30 p.m. Special calls can, however, be made at any time by prior arrangement.”