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Show Telephone Company Notes Expansion in Utah During '58 microwave systems were installed instal-led between Salt Lake City and Provo, and Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls. Additional long distance wire circuits were added between the major cites in the state. The usage patterns of telephone service changed in 1958. Long distance calling increased, extension ex-tension telephones in residences were more prevalent, and a second sec-ond line with individual telephones tele-phones for teenagers was installed instal-led last year for many families. Hands free speaker phones found theii place in many kitchens kitch-ens durinf 1958. These are one of the latest additions of the company toward carefree calling. The instrument is a normal telephone tele-phone with a microphone and a highly efficient amplifier added to its base. By merely pressing a button the new telephone may be answered and without lifting the receiver the user can carry on a conversation while performing perform-ing the daily tasks of feeding the baby, ironing or mixing a cake. It is very popular during the early morning telephone visit that has become a custom. Handicapped people, unable to hold a receiver, have found the push button hands free phone the key to a new life. The 1959 construction program will keep pace with the expanding expand-ing economy of the state. Expenditures Expen-ditures for new buildings, dial . Continued economic growth in Utah was reflected in the operations opera-tions of the Mountain States Telephone Company during the last year. Over 15,000 telephones were added during the year bringing the total telephones connected to the Company lines in Utah to over 301,000. H. K. Richmond, district manager, man-ager, pointed out that approximately approxi-mately 7,000 of the telephones added in Utah were connected in the Salt Lake Metropolitan area. The rapid growth of the telephone tele-phone business during the past few years has been unequaled in the history of Utah. It required 62 years to connect the first 100 thousand telephones, eight and a half years for the second, and only seven to install the third 100 . thousand, Mr. Ricmond said. Nearly 13 million dollars were spent in new construction and service improvements in Utah last year. New telephone buildings build-ings were constructed and dial service was installed in Cedar City, St. George and Copperton. Automatic dialing equipment costing three and one-half million mil-lion dollars was installed in the new building addition at 70 So. State Street in Salt Lake. This service improvement enables telephone operators in many Utah cities to dial long distance calls directly to the called telephone tele-phone in distant cities without the assistance of another operator. opera-tor. A building was erected and is now ready for. the installation of dial equipment for a new exchange ex-change at Bryce Canyon. Construction Con-struction is in progress on dial buildings at American Fork, Logan Lo-gan and Lehi. When the new exchange ex-change in Logan is placed in service in August Logan telephone tele-phone customers will be able to dial their own long distance calls.. This will be the first "direct "di-rect distance dialing" exchange in Utah. Thousands of miles of long distance circuits were added in 1958. Multi-circuit radio relay conversions and other service improvements in the amount of nearly 13 million dollars- are planned. New telephone instruments and services adapted to meet the specific needs of both business and residence customers will be introduced. A smaller colorful telephone will be marketed for residential use. A new instrument, instru-ment, the Call Director, equipped equip-ped to answer multiple central office lines, direct incoming calls to desired extensions, establish interoffice conferences call and meet many other specific, individual indi-vidual requirements, will become available for small and medium businesses during 1959. |