RADIO TELEPHONE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1931, Page 5

RADIO TELEPHONE

NEW SERVICE OPENS, t

BETWEEN N.Z. AND BRITAIN.

STATEMENT BY POSTMASTERCENERAL. (Per favour of the Minister.) WELLINGTON, July 22. The Postmaster-General alfiiounced to-day that the Radio telepTi'oii'e 1 office between New Zealand and all parts of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and Dublin only in the Irish Free State, will lie open for public use from 2.30 p.in., to-morrow, (Thursday) the 23rd 111st,. Thereafter the service will be avail’able on Mondays from 2.30 p.m. to 7 p.lll. on Tuesdays to Saturdays inclusive 6 a.m. to 10 a. lll. and 2,30 p.m. to 7 p.m. No service will be provided, on Sundays owing to various conditions on radio telephone channels It may not always be possible to arrange communications at the desired times, but no effort will lie spared t-o meet subscribers’ wishes in this direct-

The charge for a "call to England, Scotland or Wales will he £2 5s per minute with a minimum of £6 15s to cover a three minute call. For a call to- the Isle of Man, Northeu Ireland and Dublin the charge ift £2 7s per' minute with a minimum of £7 Ik. Persons desiring to make a call should communicate with the toll branch of the Telephone Exchange and furnish the name and address of the person required as in the case of the New Zealand-Australian Radio Telephone service. Only effective conversations will be charged for. Bv means of cumulative stopwatches, trained observers' will make due allowance for any interference to the conversation at the end of the three minutes and six minutes etc., the telephonist controlling the circuit will announce tlm duration of the* call and it will be incumbent on the caller to decide just how long he will carry on the conversation, the charge being based on the effective period during which, he speaks over the radio channel.

It is not desirable that the calling subscriber should allow, an extension telephone to-be connected at his enu during the - call, as the switching together of two telephones would considerably impair the quality of the conversations.

“Person"to person” calls, i.e, call to, or from specific persons, will be provided for ami in -certain circumstances when through no fault of the Service the desired c'A'riVcFsdtfo'h'canfidi^be 1 'arranged, a partial charge termed a “report charge” \vill be made. The Department-will-be glad-to-fui'-limit any further information that sub. scriliers may desire in connection with the new,service, LONDON STATEMENT. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph i— Copyright.] (Received this day at 10 15 a.m.) , LONDON, July 21. In connection with the radio telephone service opening between Britain and New Zealand on 23 July the charge will be 45s a minute. The New Zealand Radio Station is too weak to communicate direct with Britain, therefor the Anglo-Australian wire will be ponneoted to . the Australian-New Zealand circuit at Sydnev. At times it may he uncertain owing to atmosplieries. hut. the Post Office, promises every effort at efficiency.