20 Telephone Circuits Set Up; Mexico City Residents Now Can Call U.S.

WASHINGTON — For the first time since last Thursday’s earthquake, Mexican telephone authorities have set up outgoing international phone lines from Mexico City and made them available to the general public, U.S. telephone officials said Wednesday.

Rick Brayall, a spokesman for the American Telephone & Telegraph Co., said 20 circuits are being routed from Mexico City to nine U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Sacramento and Anaheim.

All calls made on the lines must be handled by operators in both countries.

Although the switching system that normally handles international calls from Mexico City was destroyed in the quake, many neighborhoods still have local service and can reach the Mexican operators to place the calls.