Transatlantic Telephony — Service and Operating 



Features 



By K. W. WATERSON 



Synopsis: This paper describes some of the differences in operating 

 practice on the two sides of the Atlantic and plans which were worked out 

 for taking account of them in the handling of commercial transoceanic 

 calls. Difference in the language is also another problem which has required 

 solution. Data are included giving an idea as to the extent to which the 

 transatlantic connection was used during its first year, there having been 

 established during this time a total of something over 2,300 connections. 



THE introduction of telephone communication between Great 

 Britain and the United States required the fitting together of 

 the practices of two telephone organizations. The development of 

 usage between subscribers in the two countries involves questions of 

 different telephone habits and experience. It may help to define the 

 problem of setting up a service of this kind if at the start I mention 

 one or two of the more important characteristics of long distance 

 service in the two countries which illustrate outstanding points of 

 difference. 



In Great Britain, only number service is available, that is, a service 

 under which the telephone administration undertakes merely to obtain 

 a connection with a specified telephone and on which the message 

 toll charge is assessed in all cases where an answer is obtained from 

 the telephone called whether or not the person desired is there. 

 In the United States, this same number service is available at 

 about the same initial rates as in England. In addition, we have a 

 so-called person-to-person service on which, for a charge approximately 

 25 per cent above that for number service at the longer hauls, we 

 undertake to obtain connection with a particular person who is spe- 

 cified in the order for service. In case of inability to reach the par- 

 ticular person desired, the full message charge is not assessed, but a 

 so-called report charge is made, which is about 25 per cent of the 

 station charge, tapering ofif in percentage to a maximum charge of one 

 dollar. This difference in the class of service available in the two 

 countries is a matter of importance because of the fact that our ex- 

 perience here in America shows that on the longer hauls and at the 

 higher rates about 85 per cent of the calls are on a person basis, 

 whereas at short hauls the large majority of calls are for a number only. 



In both countries the toll rates provide for an initial talking period 

 of 3 minutes. In Great Britain, additional use of the line is charged 



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