XN000022-1976-11-26 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1976

TWO MILLIONTH OVERSEAS TELEPHONE CALL

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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, TODAY (FRIDAY) MADE A TELEPHONE CALL TO SIR ROBERT BLACK (GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG 1958-1964), IN ENGLAND TO MARK THE TWO MILLIONTH OUTGOING INTERNATIONAL CALL THIS YEAR THE FIRST TIME OVER TWO MILLION INTERNATIONAL CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE FROM HONG KONG IN ANY ONE YEAR.

SIR DENYS MADE THE CALL AT 5 P.M. FROM HIS OFFICE IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.

ALSO PRESENT WERE MR. G.R. ROSS, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY- MR. ERIC WALKER, DIRECTOR AND GENERAL MANAGER OF HKTC, AND MR. G.F.A. WARWICK, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE CABLE AND WIRELESS,

IN HIS CALL, THE ACTING GOVERNOR REFERRED TO THE TWO MILLIONTH INTERNATIONAL CALL, AND SAID: IT DOES SHOW THE TREMENDOUS WAY IN WHICH OUR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS HAS GROWN DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS.

HE ALSO TOLD SIR ROBERT OF THE CHANGES IN HONG KONG BETWEEN 1969 WHEN HE RETURNED HERE FOR A BRIEF VISIT AND TODAY.

AT THE END OF THE SEVEN-MINUTE CALL, SIR ROBERT GAVE HIS BEST WISHES TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND CONGRATULATED THE TELEPHONE COMPANY FOR ITS ACHIEVEMENT.

+ IT IS A SPLENDID MILESTONE,+ HE ADDED.

HONG KONG IS RENOWNED FOR ITS EXCELLENT INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES UNDER WHICH MANY TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS ARE ABLE TO DIAL INTERNATIONAL CALLS DIRECT BY USING THE INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIBER DIALLING SERVICE. INTERNATIONAL CALLS HAVE DRAMATICALLY GROWN FROM 143,000 IN 1964 WHEN SIR ROBERT WAS HERE TO OVER TWO MILLION THIS YEAR.

IT IS RECALLED THAT IN 1958, THERE WERE ONLY 20 INTERNATIONAL SERVICE SWITCHBOARDS AND ALL INTERNATIONAL CALLS WERE RADIO AND INVOLVED A MINIMUM OF TWO OPERATORS TO HANDLE THE CALL.

IN 1963, THE TELEPHONE COMPANY OPENED THEIR CENTRAL INTERNATIONAL SWITCHBOARD EQUIPPED WITH 36 OPERATORS POSITIONS. THESE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY EXTENDED TO 126 OPERATORS POSITIONS TO MEET THE INCREASED DEMAND ON THE SERVICE.

IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. THE TELEPHONE COMPANY OPENED ITS NEW INTERNATIONAL CALL CENTRE IN WAN CHAI WHERE AN ADDITIONAL 74 CORDLESS SWITCHBOARDS OF THE MOST MODERN DESIGN WERE BROUGHT INTO SERVICE TO SUPPLEMENT THE 126 SWITCHBOARDS EXISTING IN ITS CENTRAL EXCHANGE AT THAT TIME.

✅OVER THE ............