The five Jersey Telecom Telephone Exchanges in Jersey (01534) telephone area
The Jersey exchange network was taken over in 1912 by the British General Post Office when the NTC licence expired, and then consisted of 14 magneto exchanges and 1,313 subscribers. The GPO offered the system to the States of Jersey but the offer was declined. The GPO managed the system until it was again offered to and then bought by the States of Jersey in 1923 for £32,000 , and named the States Telephone Department. On takeover there were still 14 exchanges with a total of 1,598 subscribers. The Post Office awarded the States a 30-year licence with a royalty of 10% of revenue per annum. The first engineer manager was Alfred Rosling Bennett, a renowned telephone engineer who had previously assisted the States of Guernsey and Kingston-upon-Hull Corporation in setting up their telephone systems. Communications out of the island continued to be operated by the GPO. The telephone service on Jersey is operated by Jersey Telecom.
Central ATE
East ATE
East telephone exchange is located in La Rue des Fonds, Grouville, Jersey JE3 9AR and serves Grouville, La Rocque, La Villa-es-Renaulds and the surrounding area.
In 1975 the exchange was equipped with a Crossbar, later replaced by System X.
The telephone code for this exchange 01534-5.
The former dialling code was 0534-5.
Photo (2010) courtesy of Google Maps.
North ATE
North telephone exchange is located in Le Chemin de Hérupe, St Johns, Jersey JE3 4FH and serves Handois, St Cyr, St Johns and the surrounding area.
In 1975 the exchange was equipped with a Crossbar, later replaced by System X.
The telephone code for this exchange is 01534-6.
The former dialling code was 0534-6.
Photo (2010) courtesy of Google Maps
South ATE
West Exchange
The West telephone exchange is located on La Grande Route de St Ouen in St Ouen, Jersey JE3 2HY and serves Bas du Marais, St Ouen, St Ouen’s Village and the surrounding area.
The two-story flat-roofed building was constructed in 1948. It was originally home to a manual switchboard staffed by operators, affectionately known as hello girls.
The original use for the exchange building became redundant in 1976 as the island’s phone system went automatic.
On 6th March 1976 the new automatic exchange was equipped with a PRX (Processor Reed eXchange) which was supplied by PYE TMC.
The building was later used as a training centre.
In November 2023 the building was badly damaged by Storm Ciarán and in 2024 an application was submitted to demolish the building.
Additional Information
Many new services are introduced throughout the 80’s. Probably, the most significant being the introduction of System X Digital Exchanges island wide. This computer controlled system was consequently developed for BT and has the advantage of allowing Jersey to be completely compatible with the UK network. Microwave links are put in place between Jersey and the UK and France so that communications links can be maintained in the unlikely event of a breakdown of the main cable.
Subscriber’s numbers were gradually changed over from 5-digit to 6-digit numbers between 1990 and 1995.
Former Jersey Telephone Exchanges
- Minden PlaceSubscribers transferred to Central Exchange
- MillbrookSubscribers transferred to Central Exchange
- St HelierSubscribers transferred to Central Exchange
- Herupe Subscribers transferred to North Exchange
- Red Houses Subscribers transferred to South Exchange
- HambleSubscribers transferred to East Exchange
- St Quen's VillageSubscribers transferred to West Exchange
There were also former Jersey manual telephone exchanges:
Five Oaks, Trinity, Gorey, St Aubin and Millbrook.
There is also a Telephone Repeater Station situated in Trinity Gardens, St Helier.