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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1984
MR RON HUNT, SENIOR STAFF OFICER, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, IN COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH, SAID: "THE NEW LINKS ARE ENTIRELY UNDER COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH CONTROL AND SO ENSURE THAT SERVICES ARE MAINTAINED WITHOUT RELIANCE ON BURIED TELEPHONE CABLES WHICH CAN BE SUBJECT TO FAILURE IN TIMES OF HEAVY RAIN OR DURING CONSTRUCTION WORK.''
MR HUNT SAID THE NEW SYSTEMS PROVIDED MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE ROUTING OF CIRCUITS. ALL THE OLD SYSTEMS WOULD EVENTUALLY BE REPLACED, USING A NEW RADIO BAND MORE SUITABLE FOR THE PURPOSE.
FORCE COMMUNICATIONS SIGNALS ARE LOCATED AT POINTS ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE SYSTEM ALLOWS MORE CHANNELS TO BE INTRODUCED AND ALLOWS FOR ALTERNATIVE ROUTINGS OF COMMUNICATIONS.
A MESSAGE ORIGINATING FROM HONG KONG ISLAND REGIONAL COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTRE IS RELAYED TO KOWLOON RCCC IN A CRISS-CROSS PATTERN VIA LINE OF SIGHT POSTS AT MOUNT GOUGH, TATE'S CAIRN AND MOUNT PARKER.
WITH THE RCCCS ENCLOSED WITHIN CONCRETE BUILDINGS WHICH IN TURN FORM PART OF HONG KONG'S CONCRETE JUNGLE THE USE OF HILL-TOP SITES IS VITAL IN ABOVE GROUND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
''A CONTINUING PROBLEM IS THE NEW BUILDINGS GOING UP WHICH CAN THREATEN INTERFERENCE WITH THE LINE OF SIGHT. WE HAVE AN ARRANGEMENT WITH POST OFFICE TELECOMMUNICATIONS WHEREBY WE CAN BE WARNED OF SITES BEING THREATENED IN THIS WAY SO WE CAN TAKE STEPS TO AVOID IT."'
MR HUNT DESCRIBED THE SYSTEM AS 'A HIGH QUALITY AND RELIABLE POINT TO POINT MICROWAVE NETWORK BEING CONTINUALLY DEVELOPED TO IMPROVE THE RAD 10 COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES OF THE FORCE.'
PROJECT ENGINEER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE HILL- TOP SITES IS MR MO CHI-KAN. HE SAID :''WE HAD EVERYTHING PREPARED FOR THE NEW LINKS TO COME INTO OPERATION BEFORE THE CHANGEOVER. CHANGED THE CABLES WITH HARDLY ANY INTERRUPTION OF COMMUNICATION.''
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