Post_Office_1971-1972 — Page 26

Services

Telegraph

94. Telegraph services provided include public telegraph, private leased circuits and private circuit networks. The majority of these private networks are centred in Mercury House, where they are operated and maintained by the Company's staff on behalf of the clients.

Message Switching Computer

95. In order to handle the increasing volume of telegraph traffic, a computer was installed in 1969, known as MSC1, which was shortly afterwards augmented by the installation of MSC2. Last year the centre was further expanded by the addition of MSC3, bringing the total traffic handling capacity up to more than 21 thousand messages an hour. Besides the public telegraph network, the Message Switching Centre also handles switching for several airlines as well as several commercial users who have private leased circuit networks.

Telex

96. The international telex service provides office to office com- munications. This system continues to expand and has, at present, 1,450 subscribers in Hong Kong. In view of the ever growing demand for telex service in Hong Kong, an automatic computerized telex exchange was recently installed. Instead of asking the telex switch- board operator to obtain a connection, the subscriber now selects the number direct from his own machine on automatic routes.

97. The new exchange also makes it possible for subscribers to call other subscribers in Hong Kong and Kowloon on an internal telex system.

International Switched Data Service

98. This service enables subscribers to transmit data to any suitably equipped subscriber, where the service operates, at speeds of 12 or 24 times that of telex (600 or 1,200 Bauds). The service is set up and charged for in a similar way to an international telex call. The most common application is the transfer of computer data. In Hong Kong the service is at present available to the United Kingdom, Canada, U.S.A. and Australia.

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