95. The Earth Station is provided with a 90 ft. fully steerable dish, designed to survive in the stowed condition in winds of up to 210 m.p.h. It has a capacity of 300 voice channels and is capable of handling a television programme, colour or monochrome, 625/50 or 525/60. Telecine equipment for both standards is installed at Mercury House. The station, which cost about £2.5 million sterling is being expanded by the addition of a second dish (97 ft. fully steerable) to operate via an Indian Ocean Satellite in 1971.
96. The demand for leased telegraph circuits 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 commodity brokers, manu- facturers and commercial business firms rely on Leased Telegraph Circuits. This service is available to most countries of the world on a continuous basis, i.e. 24 hours a day. Cable and Wireless also operates a Subscribers Switching Centre in Mercury House for Torn-tape and Semi-automatic System for commercial and airline subscribers.
97. The Telex Service, giving individual office to office communica- tions, continues to expand and there are now 800 telex subscribers in Hong Kong. To provide for increased demand a new fully automatic telex exchange providing many additional facilities will be installed in early 1971.
98. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Telephone Co. Ltd., Cable and Wireless Ltd. maintains a network of international telephone services which brings most parts of the world within conversational reach of Hong Kong. Direct services with Thailand, Canada, Japan, Australia and the U.S.A. are provided via Satellite. Service is also provided to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Manila, United Kingdom, and U.S.A. by SEACOM cable. In addition to the Satellite and submarine cable channels Cable and Wireless also provides H.F. radio circuit connections to 16 countries in the region; other services operate on V.H.F. and Tropospheric Scatter and there are now 188 telephone channels terminating in Hong Kong. The International Telephone Exchange at Mercury House was extended in 1969 and further extensions are planned for 1970.
99. Services are provided on H.F. and V.H.F. (known as Hague Plan) in connection with ships' radiotelegrams and radiotelephones between shore and ships. Radiotelegrams are admitted to ships from
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