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MONDAY, JULY 28, 1975
THE REPORT ALSO MENTIONED +WITH PLEASURE+ THE PROGRESS WITH THE TELEPHONE COMPANY'S EXPERIMENTAL USE OF A COMPUTER FOR THE +108+ ENQUIRY SERVICE. THE OPERATORS, WHO HAVE VISUAL DISPLAY UNITS WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO SMALL TELEVISION SCREENS WITH TYPEWRITER KEY-BOARDS, ONLY NEED TO TYPE THE NAME AND ADDRESS GIVEN BY THE ENQUIRER AND THE TELEPHONE NUMBER AUTOMATICALLY APPEARS ON THE SCREEN IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.
THE COMMITTEE SAID IT WAS HOPED THE EXPERIMENT WOULD PROVIDE A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT ENQUIRY SERVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS AND COULD HELP TO REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF ISSUE OF TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES WHICH BECOME GREATER IN VOLUME EVERY YEAR AS THE TELEPHONE NETWORK GROWS+.
THE REPORT SHOWS THAT THE ACTS AND ITS FIVE SUB-COMMITTEES HAD A VERY ACTIVE YEAR, HAVING MET ON 23 OCCASIONS. IN PARTICULAR, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS INVITED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO CARRY OUT A FULL EXAMINATION OF THE TELEPHONE COMPANY'S APPLICATION FOR AN
THE INCREASE IN BASIC TELEPHONE CHARGES BY ABOUT 70 PER CENT. ACTS SUBMITTED ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT IN JANUARY THIS YEAR AND +WELCOMES+ THE SETTING UP OF THE +COMMISSION OF INQUIRY+.
IN SUMMING UP, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELEPHONE SERVICES REASSERTED ITS VIEW THAT THE ULTIMATE AIM IN THE PROVISION OF TELEPHONE SERVICES SHOULD BE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE TELEPHONE NETWORK COVERING THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG WITH A STANDARD CHARGE FOR BOTH URBAN AND RURAL SUBSCRIBERS.
IT CONSIDERED THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD ALSO PROVIDE DETAILED PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TELEPHONE SERVICES WHICH COULD BE REVIEWED REGULARLY.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF THE REPORT ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION.
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