Application of toll dialing in Pennsylvania

PLANS for mechanizing the handling of long-distance telephone calls, using common control equipment to obtain improved quality of service and economy of operation, were initiated in 1941 and the first installation of this type was made at Philadelphia in 1943.1 In spite of the delays occasioned by the war, substantial progress has since been made in this project which affects nearly every phase of telephone operation, so that by 1954 more than 50 per cent of all long-distance calls in the United States are being completed on a mechanized basis. Many technical articles have been written describing the general plan for mechanization, as well as specific parts.²‾⁷ This paper is intended to cover the problems involved in applying the nationwide dialing plan to the territory operated by The Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania. It should be clear, however, that the independent telephone companies which operate a large part of the area of the State of Pennsylvania are participating in these plans.