Automatic switching for nation-wide telephone service

A plan for automatic longdistance switching, which ultimately will embrace the entire area of the United States and extend into Canada and perhaps Mexico has been formulated and important steps have been taken toward its realization. The plan contemplates that when a telephone customer places a call with a longdistance operator, this operator will be able to establish a connection to any desired telephone simply by playing a 10- or 11-digit code into an automatic mechanism. She will receive distinctive signals when the called telephone answers or when the telephone or the toll circuits are busy. Thus she will control completely the establishment of the connection and will have available to her the information necessary for proper billing of the call. The plan also contemplates that telephone customers ultimately will be able to dial long-distance calls themselves, wherever may be the locations of the calling and called telephones.