Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1955-01-14
N. w. Bell Spent
q Million For
Expansion In 50

phone Company spent approx
mately So. 200. 900 for expansion
and improvement of telephone ser
vice and equipment replacement
in Minnesota. Carl o. Lndeman,
Vice President and general mana
ger, said this was the heaviest
construction program In the his
tory OF the company's operations
in the state, and the outlook for
1855 is a construction program of
equal size.
BY coincidence" Mr., Lindeman
said. taxes on telephone service
in Minnesota during the year also
amounted to approximately $2S,-
600 900 This Is about $2.32 per
month for each telephone In ser
vice"
In 1854. approximately $4,000
telephones were installed to bring
the total number In service TO 1872
500 This is substantially more
than the number added In 1858,
this year the company expects To
gain even more about $4,000. lin
Minneapolis. approximately i4,5O0
telephones were added during the
year to bring the total number IN
service To about $4,000. This re-
uuired placing extra telephone
cable in practically every part of
the exchange. and making equip
ment additions in most central
officcs.)
The volume OF long distance
calling in 1854, exceeded 1893.
Last year, Minnesotans made APP
proximately l24. 900 long distance
calls per day. on the average. as
compared with 10000 calls per
day during the previous year.
Mr.. Lindeman listed the follow
ing among the company's import
ant projects during the year:
I. Filling backed-up and new
orders for service. At the begin
ming OF the year. the company was
holding approximately $500 orders
for service. BY years saas this
figure was reducted to less than q
dozen.
2. Bringing dial telephone ser
vice to more customers.
3. Combining the Minneapolis
and ST. Paul exchanges into one
telephone service area, thereby
eliminating charges on and provid-
ing for direct -dialing Of all but q
few inter-city calls.
Z. Extending microwave routes
to make II possible for many more
people TO have network television
service Radio relay system routes
were built between Minneapolis
and Duluth and Minneapolis and
Fargo. and a branch of the Mime
apoiis-Chicago route WAS extended
TO Austin.
3. Improving rural telephone
service. Approximately $500 rural
telephones were added and on
many rural lines the number 81
parties were reduced 10 eight or
less
8 Changing telephone numbers
TO two letters and five figures In
accordance with n nationwide plan
Of standsrdizing telephone num-
bers TO further speed the handling
Of long distance calls. Cnincident
with the issue Of the Minneapolis
telephone directory in December,
5000 telephone numbers were
changed from DreHel 20 Parkway
Z, Dupon, 20 Parkway ., Hopkins
TO West &. Mohawk 2 10 West p,
Walnut 10 Walnut 2, and Whittier
10 Walnut 8
In 1855, Mr. Linheman said. the
company expects 10 be able 10 fill
practically all orders for ,ele-
phone service
Expanding and improving long
distance facilities also will con
,fnue in 1868. This will include
construction Of a microwRve route
between Duluth and Virginia
which will be the first such system
10 be used exclusively for long dis
present NinneapoliE-FarRo micro
wave route. presently carrying
only television programs, will b"
equipped for long distance mos
saFes
Additional tslephOns numbers
will 10 changed two letters and
five figures In 1855. In June ap-
proyiuately - 600 numbers In the
81 Paul Midway area will bs
charged. and in December about
IS 900 downtown Minneapolis
numbers will be changed