Post_Office_1973-1974 — Page 24

and international television. These are provided by means of a complex of various systems, such as coaxial telephone cables, satellite, tropos- pheric scatter, HF and VHF radio.

101. In the fiscal year 1973-74, Cable and Wireless opened satellite communication circuits to Peking, bringing the number of countries communicating with Hong Kong via satellite to 18.

102. The number of voice circuits to the Pacific Ocean satellite has increased by 36 to 136, and that to the Indian Ocean satellite by 24 to 64.

103. The tropospheric scatter system, with a capacity of 108 voice channels, has 62 circuits terminating in Taiwan. This is five circuits more than that in the previous year. Two more circuits were added to the Manila link, bringing the number of channels to Manila to 18.

104. One more destination has been added to the HF radio system handled by the Cable and Wireless transmitting and receiving stations at Cape D'Aguilar and Mount Butler respectively. In March 1974, one telegraph, two telex and two radiotelephone circuits were opened to Brunei. The telegraph and radiotelephone channels to Peking, which were opened in January 1973, are now replaced by satellite circuits mentioned above.

105. An additional telex destination was introduced when Hong Kong commenced telex communication with Peking in April 1973. The service is manual and subscribers can obtain connection through Cable and Wireless telex switchboard operators.

106. In 1973-74 India and Pakistan were changed from manual to automatic telex routes.

107. The number of telex subscribers at the end of 1973-74 was 2,342, which represents an increase of 446 subscribers or 23.52 per cent over that at 31st March, 1974.

108. The outward international telex traffic for the year ended 31st March, 1974, totalled 4,651,979 minutes, which is a 27.43 per cent increase over that of the previous year. Inward traffic rose by 25.30 per cent to 3,954,182 minutes, and transit traffic was 1,700,298 minutes.

109. The international switched data service continues to provide high-speed communication with New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, United States of America, Britain, Australia and Canada.

18