TRANSATLANTIC TELEPHONY 189 



and this is under 600 miles. In Great Britain, there is relatively 

 small development of telephone usage at these distances. In the 

 United States, on the other hand, we have transcontinental service 

 over some 3,000 miles with considerable business at this and other 

 long distances. Our connection with the Cuban Telephone Company 

 has also given us experience with very long haul service. So in the 

 matter of special long distance problems and in the development of 

 long distance telephone usage, the experience has been largely on 

 this side of the water. 



The service arrangements for this transatlantic undertaking 

 were made through discussions carried on in London by representatives 

 of our organization and officials of the British Post Office. While 

 there were a good many problems to be worked out, there was the 

 usual result, when both parties desire to cooperate and to discover 

 the best solution, that an agreement was soon reached. It was 

 decided that the service needs of transatlantic telephony would best 

 be met by a single class of service with one rate covering either number 

 or particular person usage. Experience in the Bell System had 

 indicated that on long haul business of this nature, practically all 

 calls would be for a designated person and this has been borne out 

 in the transatlantic usage. The rate between Great Britain and 

 twelve states in the northeastern part of our country was fixed 

 at $75 for 3 minutes, with an additional minute charge of $25. A 

 report charge, of which I have already spoken, was fixed at $10 for 

 use in certain cases where particular persons called cannot be reached.^ 

 The British Post Office preferred to apply the same rate to England, 

 Wales and Scotland. Because of its wide expanse and expensive 

 land line plant, the United States was divided into five zones for 

 fixing additional land line charges over and above the New York 

 terminal rate. These rate zone lines follow state lines. The zone 

 rates go up in $3 steps as we draw away from New York. Zone 

 rates follow reasonably well the land line charges for service from 

 New York. This zoning plan was adopted to simplify the means 

 of quoting and computing the transatlantic rates abroad as compared 

 with superimposing the more finely measured land line rates on the 

 New York terminal charge. 



For communications extending beyond the initial 3-minute period, 

 the plan of charging on a single-minute basis was adopted, as it seemed 

 the most equitable, particularly in view of the distances and charges 

 involved. 



^"Reduced rates for transatlantic service became effective March 4th super- 

 seding those mentioned in this paper. To illustrate the extent of the reductions, a 

 three minute call from New York to London which was initially 375. is now 345." 



