94. Studies on the performance of the public telephone service continued through representation on the Advisory Committee on Tele- phone Services. A Working Party was convened to consider the require- ments for advanced cable systems within the Colony.
Public Telephone Service
95. The Hong Kong Telephone Company Limited, a Public Com- pany registered in Hong Kong with a nominal capital of HK$350 million, operates under a franchise from the Hong Kong Government which has been extended to 30th June, 1995, and provides all internal telephone services in the Colony.
96. Telephone services to the rest of the world is also provided in conjunction with Cable and Wireless Ltd. and the Hong Kong opera- tors have direct dialling access to distant subscribers in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nether- lands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands and West Germany,
97. The number of overseas calls originating in Hong Kong con- tinues to increase considerably and the total for 1973 exceeded that for the previous year by 25.3%.
98. The telephone service is fully automatic and is provided from 48 exchanges situated throughout the urban areas, New Territories and all major islands. The system continues to grow at an approximate rate of 14.6% per annum which compares with the world average of about 7%. Further new exchanges and large extensions to existing exchanges are in progress and in the planning stage.
99. On 31st March, 1974, there were 936,145 telephones in service which was an increase of 118,259 over the figure at the end of March, 1973. This represents a penetration factor of approximately 22.2 tele- phones per 100 population, which is the highest in Asia with the excep- tion of Japan.
International Telephone and Telegraph Service
100. Overseas telecommunications services are provided by Cable and Wireless Limited. The services include public telegraph, interna- tional telephone, telex, facsimile, ship-shore radio and telex, leased telegraph circuits, private communication networks, data transmission
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