ABBOTTABAD, Nov 24: A new 5,000-line digital exchange has started functioning here and from now on, telephone connection to applicants would be provided within 24 hours.

This was stated by Director Telegraph Hazara, Khalil-ur-Rehman, at a Khuli Kutchery of PTCL held at Small Industrial Estates Exchange.

He said the new exchange, erected by a Chinese firm, was fully automatic and now the total installed capacity of telephones in Abbottabad had increased to 21,000 connections. Khalil-ur-rehman said that in the main city exchange where 7,270 phones were working, 5,000 connections were available while in the Small Industrial Estate Exchange, of the 5,330 connections, 3,732 had been availed.

About PTCL Hazara division’s recovery drive, the director said Rs10m had been outstanding against subscribers, of which Rs9m “have been recovered.” He said the PTCL had paid Rs15m to the NHA, C&W, and the municipality on account of digging and laying charges for phone lines. Now it was the responsibility of these departments to carry out repairs of roads and streets, he said.