103 lines
5.0 KiB
INI
103 lines
5.0 KiB
INI
PLEASE WAIT - WE ARE CONNECTING YOU!
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This year sees the 100th anniversary of the Strowger telephone
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exchange. It was in 1889 that Kansas City undertaker Almon Strowger
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patented the idea for auto switching. He was spurred on to invent the
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system after discovering the telephone operator was married to his
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business rival - and was connecting potential customers to him!
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British Telecom is asking customers to be patient - and to LISTEN for
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the changes which are taking place as a result of its annual
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multi-million pound investment program me.
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Many people dislike change. Others may feel changes are of
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questionable value. A lot of money is being spent - but on what? That
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old familiar sight, the red telephone bo x, is disappearing from view.
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Some people see this as a change for the worse - yet the new tough,
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easy-clean booths, with clear telephone keypads make life a touch easier
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for thousands who would not or could not previously use a public
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telephone.
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A few people even dislike having a push-button, digital 'phone in their
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home, instead of the old 'dial' variety - yet without the switch the
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vast potential of telecommunications technology could not have been
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unleashed.
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Questions are often raised about the high numbers of bright yellow vans
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spotted arou nd the country, and the traffic problems they sometimes
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cause. But B.T. engineers oft en have to park at inconvenient points
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temporarily, simply to carry out installation and repair work. British
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Telecom is working hard to improve service to its customers, and to
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offer th e best possible value for money. Most people will have heard
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about the network 'going digital', and ultimately this will
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revolutionise the way we communicate.
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However, until all the cables and equipment are in place to link up the
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entire country, the customer down the road may not fully appreciate the
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changes which are taking place.
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Once the actual telephone exchange where your line is connected 'goes
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digital', it can open up a whole new range of communications
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possibilities. Under an optional package of Star Services, calls can be
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forwarded to another number anywhere in the country under automatic call
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diversion - invaluable, for example, for the one-man business which
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needs to stay in touch 24 hours a day. A big advantage is that callers
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need only ring one number - wherever you happen to be.
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All you need is an approved multi-frequency 'phone which plugs into the
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usual socket.
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Another option is a three-way calling conference facility, where
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business meetings can be held down the telephone line. It can also be
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used for family conferences. Think of the savings on telephone bills!
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Other developments will be useful to the non-business user. Itemised
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billing is being progressively introduced, and another facility will
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enable you to ring a number and check immediately what a call has cost.
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The all talking, singing, dancing exchange is just around the corner,
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with everything geared towards helping the customer get the best
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possible use out of the phone.
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The average digital exchange is capable of transmitting around 250
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'messages', from helping you find out what a call has cost to sending a
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polite message to remind you to replace your handset. If polite
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requests fail, it resorts to a howler - a screech which will alert you
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even if you do happen to be at the bottom of the garden!
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The inside of the exchange has been transformed, too. The old
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conventional switching equipment has been replaced by rows of blue and
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grey cabinets housing printed circuit boards.
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One floor of equipment replaces what used to take up two floors, and
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the technology is getting more compact all the time. The new equipment
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is cleaner, virtually maintenance free, and much quieter.
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If a fault occurs, the card controlling that particular line is
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replaced with another, and the problem card is sent away for repair.
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The size of the mainframe computer has also reduced, and the battery
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back-up units are clean and maintenance free.
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It all heralds another world, but although the character may have
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changed, the new equipment is making everyone's life easier.
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Some people may not want the complete new range of features offered by
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a fully digital system, but most will approve the changes which give
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them fast, clear communication, with fewer breakdowns and less
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maintenance needed. That is where BT is heading.
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As the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
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Hence, until every connection end to end of a telephone call is fully
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digital, you may not notice any difference in the clarity of the line.
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Once it IS all digital, calls will be connected in split seconds, and
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the line will be sharp and clear.
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In the meantime, if you see a BT engineer up a telephone pole or down a
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manhole please remember he is trying to bring you the best possible
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service, wherever you may live!
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