A Survey of Electronic Switching Problems in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom telephone network comprises some 9 million telephones and 6500 exchanges, and is expanding rapidly. During the next fifteen years, a threefold expansion is forecast, which must be achieved without proportionate increases in the labor force required to make, install, and maintain the equipment, or in the amount of accommodation required. It is therefore imperative to choose a system providing compatibility with existing equipment, low maintenance costs, automatic production techniques, and small space requirements. Fast switching and the ability to offer new facilities are additional requirements. The British Post Office has decided that for many years electronically controlled reed-relay systems offer the best prospects of meeting the requirements.