AUSTRALIAN WIRELESS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1930, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN WIRELESS

LONDON, March 12. The Government expects the wireless telephony system to Australia to be opened to the public in April. Jt is anticipated that the rate for the first few months will be about £4 10s for three minutes. This rate however, is expected to be halved when the system is properly working. It will be under Government, control.

Tests which have been carried out in the past fortnight for a quarter of an hour with Australia, every 24 hours, are described as being brilliantly successful. Only minor adjustments are now necessary.

Mr W. Wei lock and Lieutenant-Col-onel C. Malone, Labour members of the House of Commons, returned to London from Rugby after investigating experiments in collection with the Goverment. Mr Wellock said the experimental masts were 150 feet high, while the long-wave masts, for high-power telegraphy, were 820 feet high. The experiments covered a wide field, including sometimes the combining of three sets to overcome an occasional interruption.

These were quite successful. This beam system is similar to the Wireless Communications Company, with light technical differenced.

Mr Wellock says the experts are most optimistic. He anticipated that the rate to Australia for the first few months will be about £4 10s for three minutes, half of the present rate to New York,, although he expects that perhaps this will be reduced by half by the,end of one month. It is admittedly, a luxury charge at the beginning, he says,. but. merely until it is properly operating. - Extensive building is proceeding at Rugby in connection with the system. There will be numerous stations for Australia. Mr 'Wellock points out that mechanically the beam transmission to Australia costs no more than calling up the Channel Islands, it Jt ,js now only a':matter- of establishj,n| stations.. The present high charges are'entirely due'tp" preliminaries. For example’'calls must be'booked ahead, and operators, can then arrange for tne Other' end to receive them. • Once liaVo.iv is | properly. - , established; there will be no'difficulties whatever; iiideeo, the Government is confident that it wili . revolutionise . communication* throughout the Empire within . two years.' Telephony to. all the dominions arid colonies will not be merely comparatively, but really, cheaply established. • ,