CHECi AGAINST DELIVERY
A,, USTRL,,
[ PRIME MINISTER 7/ i
FOR .' EDIA THURSDAY,-MAY 15 1980
The Opening of the Black Mountain
Communications Tower
Th-is occasion formalises another step in the modernisation of
Australia's communications system and the development of Canberra.
Communications are essential to a competitive industrial nation.
But it is equally important to the development and maintenance
of personal and family ties. The word communications implies
technology,* a term which in some quarters has become associated
with the supremacy of machines over people.
In fact, the history of communications in Australia, is the
story of the need for men and women living in remote areas
to make contact with a wider world.
We should not forget that apart from the isolation of a rural
community, our cities are scattered over a continent, and as
a nation many of our people are far distant from the countries
ofE their birth.
So in many ways, good communications mean so much more for our
people. Fortunately for us, times are changed for the
communications industry. Just thirty five years ago the end
of the War the only communications system over vast areas of
Australia's outback was provided by the Royal Flying Doctor
SeBrvice. Here, in pedal wireless, was a very special communications systemperhaps
unique in the world which owed so much to the
inventiveness and perseverance of the Reverend John Flynn.
Flynn understood the vital need for personal contact, and
hoDw essential this was for safety indeed for survival, for
the efficient conduct of business, and perhaps most of all,
for keeping in touch with other Australians.
I was reminded of our early days in comunication a few days
ago in my office when I spoke with the British Prime Minister,
Mrs. Thatcher,-in a telephone and television link-up to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the radio-telephone link
between Australia and the United Kingdom. / 2
-2-
Irn Flynn's day, such a conversation would have been a chancy
business. In those days, before cable and satellite links, we
often used to wait in vain for operator-connected international
calls that never came, and if they did, the crackle and static
stretched patience and hearing.
TPoday, as Margaret Thatcher herself remarked cOuring our
phone conversation, the call sounded as though it came from
a neighbouring London suburb.
This new ease of communication has opened up another world
for Australia,-for government leaders for businessmen and
for families.
For myself, I am made more aware all the time of the
increased importance of telephone communications for
government leaders.
But speaking for a moment as a telephone user and not as
Prime Minister, I do think that in one area of our telephone
service there is room for improvement, and that is in the
pushbutton telephone.
Overseas, for a long while, pushbutton phones have existed
which make the connection as soon as the last button is pushed.
This considerable advance camne to the attention of Telecom,
and eventually after quite a few years pushbutton phones
appeared in Australia.
Aha, I thought, Australia is not so far behind after all.
But I found that while the Australian pushbutton phone
looks like its overseas counterpart, it, in fact, makes
connections no faster than did the old dial telephone.
So what we have is the pushbutton look with the dial technology.
I say to Telecom: It is grand to have the button, but we would
like the speed as well.
But to be fair to Telecom, they are working on the early
introduction of an improved type of pushbutton telephone,
and on a new type of telephone exchange.
When these are in place, I am assured that we shall be as
well and as quickly connected as anywhere.
So, Telecom is keeping us near the forefront of technology.
Hand in hand with the technological progress that has already
taken place has been a massive reduction in the cost of
using telephones. I notice that when I declare the tower open
tonight I am to use the switch that was used by Sir Robert.. Menzies
when he opened the Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne co-axial cablein
1962. / 3
3-
In those days, the cheapest telephone call between Sydney and
Melbourne was $ 1.20. Today, an economy call, between the two
capitals is little more than $ 1.00 and Telecom aim to improve
that before long.
Equally impressive are the present rates for overseas calls.
In 1930, a three minute call to London cost $ 12.00 equivalent
to one and a half week's pay. By 1945, the cost had been reduced
to $ 6.00 in real terms half a week's pay. Today it costs
$ 5.50 which is-equal to less than one hour's pay.
This progress in telephone comnmunications has transformed
the way of life of individual Australians. In another area
of communications, that of radio and we are on the verge
of a major technological breakthrough as we move towards the
advent of the domestic satellite system.
This system, together with other developments in the
terrestrial network, would set the pattern for bringing the
communications services available to remote areas of this
country progressively into much closer relationship with those
in more densely populated regions.
In this context it is expected that the satellite system would
offer, over time, basic television, radio and telecommunication
services to outback dwellers.
We would all agree that this would be a welcome remedy to
the present communications difficulties suffered by people
in remote areas of Australia. Such developments, now proceeding
apace under Tony Staley's care, will open up a new world to
many thousands of Australians.
The technical advances that have been of such value to
individual Australians have been of similar benefit to
our business community. The kind of facilities-now in usetelex,
mobile telephones, radio paging services, data
communications offer num'erous savings and advantages to
companies.
They add to efficiency, improve competitiveness, reduce error,
and cut costs. In comprehending the size of the cost savings
taking place, telex charges are an excellent example of what
is being achieved.
I am pleased to announced at this function further cuts
to a range of telex charges. Telex charge reductions
of 46% and 20% respectively will apply from July 1 this year
to calls made in the distance categories of 325 645 kilometres
and over 645 kilometres.
After 6 a reduction of 50% will apply in call charges
made in the distance category 325 645 kilometres and cal-ls of over
645 kilometres will be reduced by 20%. For example, a three
minute telex call from klbury-;-odonga to Sydney will reduce
from 75 cents to 40 cents during the day and from 40 cents
to 20 cents at night. These are impressive concessions for
a message of nearly 200 words sent almost instanteously
over such a distance. / 4
-4
They will represent an estimated annual saving to commerce,
industry and other telex users of over $ 3 million. And they
will apply to almost 2/ 3 of the national telex traffic.
They are part of the continuing reduction, since 1978, in the
great majority of telex chargeL: and total reductions over
some distances have been as high as almost 70%. The
exceptions to this relate to manually operated telex calls
and will apply to only 1 2% of total telex traffic.
At the same time, and as part of the determination to
give people in remote areas access to technology at reasonable
rates, S. T. D. telephone charges have also been reduced.
Daytime Sunday rates have been cut by 20% while evening
calls since November 1978 have been reduced to 40% of the
day rate. For distances between 50 165 kilometres
there have been daytime reductions of between 10 20 per cent
and since may this year, Telecom has created a single zone for
distances between 165 645 kilometres. This has given a
reduction in many long distance S. T. D. calls of over
These reductions are part of the picture of rapid change
in telecommunications, sometimes incomprehensible innovation,
the significance of which escapes those of us who are mere
consumers of the benefits, but poor students of the mechanisms
which provide them.
Needless to say, Black Mountain Tower, when first proposed
was unable to escape the penalties of innovation. And because
of this, its birth has been slow and sometimes difficult.
But the challenge of censure has passed the Black Mountain
Tower and it is now an important part of Canberra.
Built at a cost of $ 15.3 million, it is now included in a
great national communications asset whose value approaches
billion, with an annual investment of around $ 1 billion.
This network will continue to expand and improve to meet
the public's needs. As one measure of this, I point to the
fact that this year half a million new telephone services will
be installed in Australia.
Tonight's gathering acknowledges the widespread benefits that
modern technology properly applied can produce. The
Telecommunications Tower on Black Mountain is an important
development for Canberra; but it is more than that, it is a
significant extension in the overall telecommunications
facilities that we need as Australia gears up for the 1980' s.
I am delighted to be with you tonight. I congratulate
Telecom and all who have been responsible for this project.
Particularly, I congratulate the workmen on the site of'
the tower, who have braved Canberra's own brand of chilly
winter to bring this tower into being.
It is now my pleasant task, to coin a well known phrase
I can't remember who said it to turn on the lights and
declare the Black Mountain Tower open.