New Britain herald., 1927-03-07
PHONE COMPANY
 PLANS EXPANSION
Nill Spend S280,000 on Local
 Plant This Year

To provide adequate facilities reasonably well in advance of the constantly increasing demand for telephone service in this city, the Southern New England telephone company will spend about s2So,O or plant extensions and betterments in the New Britain exchange during the current year. Thi, announce lnent was made today by Exchange Manager T. r. McAulitfe.
 The growth of New Britain's population, and the consequent in- crease in the commercial and social uses of the telephone, is plainly in dicated by the announced plans Of that company to enlarge it's plant thus 10 provide additional switch board and other facilities for the rapidly growing number Of subscrib- ers," according to Mir. McAuilfe. "Generally speaking, telephone de- velopment is considerel q splefdid barometer Of business activities in any community. That New Britain is growing and growing rapidly tete- phone wise. is conclusive proof that tho city is expanding in other ways, notably as a trade center for those who live in nearby towns.
 Ten years ago. about the time the addition was built to the original telephone building, there were only t.S55 telephones in use in this city. That vas the figure at the end of 1918. At the close of 1926 there were 1o.li6 telephones in service in this exchange.
 During an average day the oper- etins force here handles about 41,- coo originating calls, made up Of about 44,4oo local calls; 2,00o AB calls. which are calls between diff fcrent cities but are 1andled as To- cal calls; and coo toll calls. Those figures show that New Britain does lot of conversational work.
 Handling these thousands Of calls we have today an operating staff Of 1s girls, including the chief oper- u ators and supervisors. There has been in recent years a corresponding increase in our commercial and plant forces in this city.
 'Now the company plans to un- dortake construction work here which will provide for the future growth of the city, that is, for q per iod perhaps of a few years, at the end of which time New Britain may expect to receive further increased facilities.
 Recently the company leased quarters on the opposite side of Court street in which the exchange business office will soon be housed. This will alloI, the transfer Of the operators quarters from the second floor of the present building to the first floor front and will provide a greater floor space on the first floor tor the enlargement of the termina, room there.
 The second floor of the present building then will be given over eX- clusively to switchboard work and it is intended to enlarge the local board during the current year to give additional switchboard facili- ties for about 2,l0o subscribers,
 That may seem like a large in- crease in our switchboard, but when you know that the telephone com- pany expects a net gain of nearly 500 telephones in New Britain dur ing 1927 the fact looks little diff fcrantly.
 "Of the soSo,ooo which the com rany plans to spend in this exchange this year the alterations in the cen tral office building will cost about sll, ,o00: new central office equip ment will cost s45,0o0. exchange aerial and underground cable s4S.- GOO: a toll cable providing addition al lines to Hartford. which will also include facilities for local service in certain sections along route. will cost about S56,000; subscribers sta- ton and PBN equipment. s55,ooo: while poles, wire and miscellaneous jobs on outside plant etc. will reach the large total Of about s65.o0o.
 These expenditures represent only the cost of material and labor ot construction work and do not in clude any mount to be spent for maintenance ot the existing plant here.
 Looking into the future the tele- phone company has purchased land near It's present building in Court street and when that building Is in- adequate to house the equipment needed to give New Britain good service and plenty of 1t. then We may expect the announcement that a new telephone building Is to be added 10 the better business buildings Of tho city"