The American End

The great day arrived on 7th January 1927 when the transatlantic service opened to the public. The inaugural call took place at 1.45pm between Mr Walter S. Gifford, President of American Telephone and Telegraph Company, New York and Sir Evelyn Murry, Secretary of the General Post Office, London.

The route of the call was:

• From the London subscriber to the exchange and then by landline to Rugby
• Rugby then transmitted the telephony radio signal to Houlton Receiving Station in Maine, USA
• From there, it went by landline to New York
• The return signal came via Rocky Point Transmitting Station to Wroughton Receiving Station near Swindon
• Then, once again it travelled by landline back to London