ENG-1965 — Page 243

196

COMMUNICATIONS

To cope with the increase in traffic, four direct telex circuits- Hong Kong-Tokyo, Hong Kong-Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong- Colombo and Hong Kong-Bangkok-were set up. New services were instituted with Port Moresby, Guam, Curacao, Ivory Coast, American Samoa and the USSR. The number of channels was increased on circuits to Sydney, Singapore and London. Sixty new subscribers were connected for international service.

New international telephone services were instituted with Israel, Libya, Greece, Papua, New Guinea, Brunei, Angola, Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique, Principe, Azores, Madeira, Portuguese Guinea and St Thome. Working schedules to Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, USA, the United Kingdom and Europe were extended to 24 hours a day. Direct telegraph circuits were established with Cebu (Philippines), Kuala Lumpur and Jesselton. A phototelegraph service was opened with Paris.

Leased circuits are mostly telegraph channels for international communication, to be used exclusively by the hirers. They are much more economical than telex or public telegraph in terms of transmission time available and during the year a number of channels were leased between Hong Kong and Japan. When the second stage of SEACOM opens, more channels will be available for this purpose and it is expected that increased telegraph correspondence will contribute significantly to the Colony's international trade.

At Cape d'Aguilar on Hong Kong Island, 'A' station is being expanded and modernized. When completed the station will house 40 transmitters which will be, mainly automatically tuned. They include the latest Marconi MST 7.5 Kw self-tuning high-frequency transmitters. The two stations at Cape d'Aguilar form the largest transmitting centre in the worldwide communications network of Cable and Wireless Limited and plans are in hand for the erection of a third station on the site.

Telephone services throughout the Colony are provided by the Hong Kong Telephone Company Limited, a public company operating under a franchise from the government. In addition to internal services the company, in collaboration with Cable and Wireless Limited, provides telephone services to most overseas countries, as well as to ships moored in the harbour and at sea. The company's system is fully automatic and at 30th September