The Development of Telecoms - City of London Region

Territorially the City of London telephone area is the smallest in the country, but for telephones it is among the largest and most congested in the world.

The area's 9.1 square miles comprise the City and portions of adjoining boroughs. The dominant natural feature is the Pool of London, which divides the Area into two parts.

The City, representing London within its ancient boundaries, is the financial and business centre of London. Here are the head offices of the principal banks, insurance companies and mercantile houses and the headquarters of the Post Office which has been in the City for centuries.

In addition, buildings with an historical interest range from the Roman Wall and the 15th-century Guildhall to the baroque splendour of St. Paul's Cathedral and the architectural beauty of Wren's spires.

The City of London was described by Tacitus in A.D. 61 as a "busy emporium for trade and traders". Today (1955), the staff of this region, numbering 3,800, have an opportunity with the restoration of the City to provide amenities for the great financial, shipping and other commercial interests for which it is famous. Already the area contains over 200,000 telephones, served by 17 of the busiest exchanges In the country and the annual revenue is £5,500,000. London rebuilt will entail a great increase in these services, including the provision of many large subscribers' installations, each bigger than most public exchanges.

The area, in addition to its telephone commitments, also performs the telecommunications engineering work for the Central Telegraph Office as well as other voice frequency and tele-printer responsibilities for the whole of the London Telecommunications Region.