TABLE XVI
Messages per Trunk in Automatic System
| Number of Trunks in Group, Automatic System | Messages per Trunk per Busy Hour |
| 5 | 15 |
| 10 | 22 |
| 20 | 28 |
| 40 | 32 |
| 60 | 34 |
Toll Traffic. Toll or long-distance traffic follows the general laws of local or exchange traffic. Conversations are of greater average length in long-distance traffic. The long-distance line is held longer for an average conversation than is a local-exchange line. The local trunks which connect long-distance lines with exchange lines for conversation are held longer than are the actual long-distance trunks between cities. Knowing the probable traffic to be brought to the long-distance switching center by the long-distance trunks from exchange centers, the number of trunks required may be determined by knowing the capacity of each trunk. These trunk capacities vary with the method of handling the traffic and they vary as do local trunks with the number of trunks in a group. Table XVII illustrates this variation of capacity with sizes of groups.
TABLE XVII
Messages per Trunk in Long-Distance Groups
| Number of Long-Distance Trunks in Group | Messages per Trunk per Busy Hour |
| 5 | 2 |
| 10 | 3 |
| 20 | 3.2 |
| 40 | 3.5 |
| 60 | 4 |
| 100 | 4.6 |
Quality of Service. The quality of telephone service rendered by a particular equipment managed in a particular way depends on a great variety of elements. The handling of the traffic presented by patrons is a true manufacturing problem. The quality of the service rendered requires continuous testing in order that the management may know whether the service is reaching the standard; whether the standard is high enough; whether the cost of producing it can be reduced without lowering the quality; and whether the patrons are getting from it as much value as they might.
In manual systems, the quality of telephone service depends upon a number of elements. The following are some principal ones:
- Prompt answering.
- Prompt disconnection.
- Freedom from errors in connecting with the called line.
- Promptness in connecting with the called line.
- Courtesy and the use of form.
- Freedom from failure by busy lines and failure to answer.
- Clear enunciation.
- Team work.