Britain: An official handbook > 1977

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
325
Satellite
Communica¬
tions
Radio
Communica¬
tions with
Ships at Sea
and Offshore
Installations
Data
Processing
Service
‘Confravision’
Research
Three aerials at the Goonhilly satellite communication earth station in
Cornwall, which was brought into operation in 1962 and took part in the
first satellite communications experiments, provide commercial telephone
and television circuits via high-capacity geostationary satellites positioned
over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In March 1976 Britain operated some
1,300 satellite telephone circuits to 80 countries.- A new earth station is being
built at Madley (Hereford and Worcester) to accommodate the rapid growth
in international telecommunications; the first aerial should be in service by
1978. The satellites used in the global communications systems are provided
by the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (see p. 406)
in which Britain is the second largest shareholder.
In addition to the radio stations for overseas telecommunications, the Post
Office has 11 coast radio stations in Britain which provide radiotelegraph and
radiotelephone communications with ships at sea at ranges of up to some 500
miles (805 kilometres) and 250 miles (402 kilometres) respectively, and with
oil rigs and pipe-laying barges in the North Sea. There is also the long-distance
radiotelegraph and radiotelephone station, Portishead Radio, which communi¬
cates with ships in all parts of the world.
These coast stations are an important part of the search and rescue services
concerned with safety of life at sea (see p. 316). They broadcast navigational
warnings and weather bulletins, keep continuous watch on the international
radiotelegraph and radiotelephone frequencies for distress calls from ships
or aircraft and take immediate action to obtain assistance for any vessel in
distress. During 1975-76 the stations handled 750 urgency and distress calls.
The stations also exchange radiotelegrams with ships and connect .radio¬
telephone calls between telephone subscribers ashore and suitably equipped
ships. Radio teleprinter facilities are being introduced at selected coast
stations to enable ships to be connected to telex subscribers ashore.
An j£8 million microwave radio system is being developed to link oil and
gas production platforms in the North Sea with the mainland. Two new radio
stations in north-east Scotland and south Shetland entered service in 1976.
The Post Office is one of the largest users of automatic data processing equip¬
ment and techniques in Britain. Its computer organisation has two parts:
the Post Office Data Processing Service for internal services, and the National
Data Processing Service for services to firms and other external users.
The world’s first purpose-built system of conferences by television, ‘Confra¬
vision’, was introduced by the Post Office in 1971. Using Post Office video
circuits the service allows private communication between studios in London,
Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, and Manchester. An experimental inter¬
national Confravision link to Sweden was opened in 1974 and a further
extension to the Netherlands began operating in 1975.
The Post Office is spending some £40 million a year on research and develop¬
ment, in collaboration with industry and the universities. An ^11 million
research centre, the largest complex of its kind in Europe, at Martlesham
Heath, Suffolk, has recently been completed.