Post_Office_1968-1969 — Page 22

eastwards to Guam, Australia and then on to Canada and Europe. From Guam the SEACOM cable joins with alternative cables to give high quality channels to Japan, the Philippines and the U.S.A., where telegraph, telex and telephone circuits extend to all parts of the world.

Satellite Earth Station

83. Cable and Wireless Ltd. is building a Satellite Earth Station in Hong Kong to be operational later this year. This will work initially with the INTELSAT III over the Pacific to provide additional capacity between Hong Kong and countries in the Pacific area. The 90-ft. fully- steerable dish is designed to survive in the stowed condition in winds of 210 m.p.h. It will have a capacity of 300 voice channels and will be capable of handling a television programme. The station is expected to cost about HK$40,000,000 and will be capable of future expansion by the addition of a second dish to work with an Indian Ocean Satellite.

Computer

84. A message-switching computer becomes operational on the 20th April, 1969 and will handle switching for the Public Telegraph Network and several airline signals centres.

Telegraph

85. Telegraph services operate over the SEACOM submarine tele- phone cables, and by H.F. radio with other points. Direct circuits are worked to some 28 countries. Automatic relays are provided where necessary. About 13,000 telegrams are handled every day in the Telegraph Control Centre.

Leased Telegraph Circuit

86. The service has grown rapidly since its introduction in 1954. Among the first to recognize the advantages offered by leased telegraph circuits were the larger international airlines. Today stock and com- modity brokers, manufacturers and commercial business firms rely on leased telegraph circuits for their exclusive use. This service is available to most countries of the world on a continuous basis, i.e. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The B.O.A.C. and T.W.A. Signals Centres are in Mercury House and staffed by Cable and Wireless Ltd. The S.I.T.A. and Air America Signals Centres will be moving into Mercury House in May 1969.

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