Systems Engineering Survey of Subscriber Loop Plant

A survey is described in which a random sample of 1000 telephones was drawn from a universe of 5.7 million General System main telephones in the United States and Canada. Survey data relating to the sample telephones, the serving central offices, and the transmission media between offices and telephones were computer processed to develop estimates of the General System's plant composition, costs, subscriber distribution, and the expected growth pattern during the next decade. The results provide a data base for engineering studies of new plant designs and for more accurate estimates of the influence of possible service offerings.