TELECOMMUNICATIONS I

closed

The proposed loan will assist in financing part of TELCO's five year (1973-77) telecommunications program, which aims to improve the quality of service to existing subscribers essentially by providing an adequate number of high quality circuits and rehabilitating damaged cables, and to meet part of the demand for additional telephones. The program consists of: (a) rehabilitation of local distribution cables; (b) minor reconstruction works and facilities for metering local calls in all exchanges; (c) installation of a microwave link between San Fernando and La Brea/Point Fortin; (d) installation of about 26,000 lines of new local automatic exchange equipment; (e) installation of local distribution and interoffice cables, and subscribers' equipment to connect an additional 17,000 subscribers; (f) installation of microwave radio terminals and multiplex equipment to provide about 1,400 additional long distance circuits; (g) installation of a long distance automatic exchange with about 3,000 long distance circuits; and (h) acquisition of land and construction of buildings to house equipment.