85. The number of overseas calls originating in Hong Kong con- tinues to increase considerably and the total for 1972 exceeded that for the previous year by 24.58%.
86. The telephone service is fully automatic and is provided from 46 exchanges situated throughout the urban areas, New Territories and all major islands. The system continues to grow at an approximate rate of 20% per annum which compares with the world average of about 7%. Further new exchanges and large extensions to existing exchanges are in progress and in the planning stage.
87. On 31st March, 1973, there were 817,886 telephones in service which was an increase of 104,780 over the figure at the end of March, 1972. This represents a penetration factor of approximately 20.42 telephones per 100 population, which is the highest in Asia with the exception of Japan.
International Telephone and Telegraph Service
88. Overseas telecommunications services are provided by Cable and Wireless Limited. The services include public telegraph, inter- national telephone, telex, ship-shore radio and telex, leased telegraph circuits, private communications networks, data transmission and inter- national television. These are provided by means of a complex of various systems, such as coaxial telephone cables, satellite, tropospheric scatter, HF and VHF radio.
89. In the fiscal year of 1972-73, Cable and Wireless opened satellite communication circuits to Canada, Italy, Pakistan and India bringing the number of countries communicating with Hong Kong via satellite to 17.
90. The tropospheric scatter system was expanded in 1972-73 to provide a total capacity of 108 voice channels. The number of circuits terminating in Taiwan was increased by nine to 57 and four more circuits were added to the Manila link, bringing the number of channels to Manila to 16.
91. Two more destinations have been added to the HF radio system handled by the Cable and Wireless transmitting and receiving stations at Cape D'Aguilar and Mount Butler respectively. In December 1972 two telegraph circuits and one radiotelephone circuit were opened to Dacca, Bangladesh, and in January 1973, one voice frequency
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