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RADIO-RECEIVING LICENCES At the 31st March the total number of radio-receiving licences current was 432,175, representing an increase of 11,111, or 2-63 per cent., over the number in force a year ago. POST OFFICE RADIO-TELEPHONE SERVICE TO SHIPPING: CHANGE OF OPERATING FREQUENCIES As from the Ist March, 1949, the frequencies used in the radio-telephone service for New-Zealand-registered ships were changed to meet the requirements of the International Radio Regulations (Atlantic City, 1947). The new frequency arrangement facilitates the exchange of traffic between New Zealand coast stations and ships fitted with radio telephony. INSTALLATION OF EMERGENCY RADIO EQUIPMENT AT GLENORCHY As communication between Queenstown and settlements at the head of Lake Wakatipu depends upon a telephone-line which is subject to interruption in passing through rugged hill-country on the shores of the lake, emergency radio equipment has been installed at the Glenorchy Post-office. Surplus war equipment has been converted for the purpose, and enables communication to be effected with Awarua Radio by Morse telegraphy in the event of the failure of the land-line. MODERNIZATION OF RAROTONGA RADIO STATION The equipment at Rarotonga Radio has for some time been regarded as outmoded and has been giving an inferior service. In addition, the institution of regular aircraft services to the Islands has increased the importance of the station at Rarotonga. By arrangement with the Department of Island Territories, which controls the station, and the Air Department, which operates the radio aids to air navigation, a party of Post Office radio engineers and technicians has been despatched to Rarotonga to modernize the station. The work is one of considerable magnitude and will require several months to complete. An entirely separate receiving-station will be provided some three miles from the transmitting-station, and the whole station will, in general, be brought up to modern standards. Some of the technicians in the installing party will remain to take care of the maintenance of the station when the work is complete. TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES (OVERSEAS) The overseas cable and radio-telegraph services were maintained at a high degree of efficiency during the year, as was the radio-telephone service to Australia and to the United States. The lack of a high-powered radiotransmitting station with a sufficiency of aerial arrays has, however, prevented the maintenance of a fully reliable radio-telephone and radio photo-telegram service to the United Kingdom. The difficulties being experienced m this direction will not be overcome until the Department's proposed new transmittingstation at Himatangi is constructed. It has been possible during the year to extend the radio-telephone service to several additional countries in Europe and in the Pacific. The radio phototelegram service was also extended during the year to include the United States of America, the terminal equipment there being located at San Francisco.

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