0068 - International Direct Dialling

Object Type: Asset

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0068 - International Direct Dialling

A film promoting international direct dialling. The narrator is Frank Windsor. The film encourages viewers to take advantage of the international direct dialing (IDD) service offered by British Telecom International. The film begins with a conversation between two people looking at old photos of a family member living abroad and then seamlessly transitions to a phone call between the family member and her mother who is using the IDD service. The film then goes on to describe the history and development of international phone services, from the first international service in 1891 to the launch of Telstar, the first telecommunications satellite, in 1962, which revolutionized international communication. The film emphasizes the increased availability and affordability of IDD, with the cost of a three-minute call to the US dropping from £15 in the 1920s to just £3 in the 1960s. The film notes that by the 1970s, almost half of all UK telephone customers had friends or relatives abroad, and that the International Telephoning Guide provided easy-to-follow instructions for using IDD. The film concludes by encouraging viewers to take advantage of the worldwide system that is waiting to be used.

Catalogue

Finding Number: BTA-MI1/0068

Date: 1980

Period: 1980s

Level: Item

Distribution: Unknown

Film function: Promotional

Film subject: International communications

Promotion Subject: International services

Year: 1980

Repository: BT Archives (ARCHON 1814)

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