BIG PROGRESS IN TELEPHONE FIELD IN N.Z. IN 1948-9
(Special to Beacon) Wellington, last night.
The year 1948-49 has been one of very substantial progress in the telephone field, according to the Postmaster-General’s report to Parliament just released. During the year 21,067 new subscribers were joined up. This is a record of new connections, the number in the previous year being 12,999.
Particular attention was given to telephone development in Rural areas. Six additional exchanges were opened, while the number of subscribers connected with existing exchanges serving country areas was greatly increased. The total number of telephone stations connected is 238,292 senting an annual revenue of £2,270,213. Ten years ago the number connected was 157,605. The increase in the last ten years being 51 per cent. . The people of New Zealand have become particularly telephone conscious and are showing the same eagerness for telephone service as they are for electric power and other labour saving amenities. There appears to be an almost inexhaustible field for telephone development in New Zealand. This unprecedented demand has necesssitated a complete' reorientation of ideas on future planning. Last year there .were 41,292 people on the waiting list. In spite of 21,067 new connections during the year, the waiting list has now risen to 48,378. Altogether 24 Rural automatic units have been received. Six have been installed and the remainder allotted to specific areas. Fifty more are on order and will begin to arrive towards the end of the year. Murupara is included in the list of places at which it is proposed to install new telephone exchanges.
The approximate value of equipment and material on order is £6,000,000. Of this £3,500,000 represents expenditure 1 for switching equipment and £2,500,000 for cable wire and poles. During the year 25,000.000 toll calls were handled. This is an increase of 5,733,889 calls over the previous year.
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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 33, 2 September 1949, Page 3
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309BIG PROGRESS IN TELEPHONE FIELD IN N.Z. IN 1948-9 Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 33, 2 September 1949, Page 3
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