Published Resources Details
Journal Article
- Title
- Australia's overseas telecommunications network
- In
- Telecommunication Journal of Australia
- Imprint
- vol. 14, no. 2, Oct 1963, pp. 96-
- Url
- https://www.coxhill.com/trlhistory/media/Telecommmunication%20Journal%20of%20Australia/The%20Telecommunication%20Journal%20of%20Australia%20Vol%2014.%20No%202%20OCTOBER%201963.pdf
- Abstract
The history of the Overseas Network can be said to have commenced with the opening of the first submarine telegraph cable connecting Darwin, Australia, with the outside world in 1871. This cable was followed by others and later by radio services, at first for ship to shore communication, then for telegraphy, telephony and eventually international telex. A very considerable growth in all facilities has taken place and Australia is now being linked with many other countries by submarine telephone cables. The completion of the trans-Pacific (COMPAC) cable, which is scheduled for 3rd December, 1963, will end an era of major reliance on long distance radio communication.
For many years the overseas communications were operated by separate companies, but in 1946 all services were amalgamated under public ownership with the formation by the Commonwealth Government of the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia) (O.T.C. (A.)). Since that time the Commission has been responsible for the provision and operation of all external services with the exception of the switching of telephone traffic. Until recently the Postmaster-General's Department undertook the switching and control terminal operation for all telephone traffic, but the Overseas
Telecommunications Commission (Australia) is now responsible for the switching of transit traffic and the Department will switch only the traffic originating or terminating in Australia. The Department is, of course, also responsible for handling international telex traffic once this traffic enters the internal network. The Commission also operates the overseas services from Papua/New Guinea.
This article traces the general history of the development of the overseas service, and the growth of traffic. It also gives a general outline of the types of facilities operated by the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia) and the main technical developments which have been occurring
in the Commission's plant.