Post_Office_1966-1967 — Page 24

in 1968 to meet the anticipated growth in demand for telephone and telegraph channels. It will be used initially with a satellite over the Pacific but will be capable of extension to work with an Indian Ocean satellite later.

Maritime Communication

103. Cable and Wireless Maritime service include ships' Radio- telegrams, Radiotelephone between shore and ship, and V.H.F. Radio- telephone (known as the Hague Plan). Radiotelegrams are admitted to ships from any Coast Station. Radiotelephone between shore and ship service is provided in conjunction with the Hong Kong Telephone Com- pany, and calls are made in the same manner as are international telephone calls. The service is available throughout the 24 hours daily either at a short range of about 200 miles or at a greater distance with ships up to approximately 500 miles.

Cable and Wireless Sub-Offices and Out-Stations

104. Seven Cable and Wireless sub-offices are now in operation, viz. Jardine House, Ocean Terminal, Lee Gardens, Western Telephone Exchange Building, Kai Tak Airport, Mong Kok Telephone Exchange Building and Tsuen Wan, New Territories. The latter was put into operation in May 1966.

105. Traffic figures supplied by Cable & Wireless Ltd. for the year ended 31st March, 1967 are as follows :

Telegrams accepted for transmission

Telegrams received

...

Telegrams handled in transit Telex calls-outward minutes Telex calls--inward minutes

Telex calls-relayed minutes

1,326,804

1,571,356

903,748

531,103

595,322

183,466

International telephone calls-outward minutes

1,492,986

International telephone calls-inward minutes

2,006,373

Pictures-transmitted

223

Pictures-received

21,474

Press broadcasts & reception services-number of hours

32,166

Harbourphone calls

806,903

Maritime radiotelegrams accepted for transmission

13,871

Maritime radiotelegrams received

46,792

Maritime radiotelephone calls-outward minutes

192

Maritime radiotelephone calls-inward minutes

1,643

Meteorological broadcasts & reception services-number

of hours

Inland telegrams

*

+4

15

82,339

7,619