international Terepnone Statistics 1987, Siemens Yearbook of Common Carrier Telecommunication Statistics (1976-85)
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Directory Enquiries
HKT offers an efficient and well-manned free Directory Enquiry service. It is completely computerized and heavily utilized. Many customers phone "108" rather than look in the telephone directory. The target average time to answer is 25 seconds.
Starline
On digital exchanges, HKT offers "Starline" services, which are enhanced services for customers such as Call Waiting, IDD Barring, Abbreviated Dialling, Do Not Disturb and Conference Calling. This service was formally introduced in October 1985, and at the end of September 1987 there were a total of 25,492 working Starlines representing about 7% of digital lines.
2.2.3 Private local leased lines
Various speeds of private circuits are offered (both analogue and digital). The slower speed analogue circuits are used for the trans- mission of voice, data, alarm services and telex. The newer digital private circuits cover 56Kb/s or 64Kb/s, Tl or 1.5Mb/s and El or 2Mb/s. Private circuits are available throughout the Territory.
HKT currently provides about 68,000 leased lines, of which 29,600 are used by CWHK for the telex service and the rest are leased primarily to customers in the information and financial services industries, and in the trading and transportation sectors. According to HKT "the growth of data communications has been quite spectacular. As computers have become widespread, the need for improved digital circuits and increased speeds of transmission has grown progressively. This demand has been met by the PSTN service since the mid 1970s and since 1982/3 by provision of 56Kbs and T1 (1.5 Mbs) leased digital services". The number of local leased lines is expanding at approximately 5% p.a.
2.2.4 Datel and Faxlines
Datel was introduced in October 1982, as a premium dial-up electronic switching service offering high speed performance on the telephone service. HKT introduced the Faxline service at the same time as Datel. It offers virtually error free transmission within Hong Kong at speeds up to the maximum 9.6 kbps. The number of facsimile machines now in use is 33,000. It has grown very rapidly from a small base of only 689 machines in 1982 at a growth rate of 117% p.a. Hong Kong is second only to Japan in the use of facsimile, with 58 faxlines per 10,000 population and 6.3 per 100 business main telephone lines. The basic line charge revenues come under the Scheme of Control while the extra charges fall under obligatory services.
2.2.5 Modernization of the local network
Hong Kong first introduced digital switching in 1983. It now has 407,500 lines of digital switching equipment, representing 18.5% of the total exchange line capacity. This is comparable with the level of digitalization in Singapore. Hong Kong plans to have a digital presence
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