A TELEPHONE revolution will be completed in York tomorrow when an exchange in Melrosegate goes digital.

The £1 million upgrade is the final part of a £16 million modernisation programme by BT at exchanges across York over the last 13 years.

Digital exchanges give customers clearer phone calls, instantaneous call connections and access to services such as BT's free Call Return service which, by dialling 1471, allows them to discover the telephone number of their last caller.

Customers can use BT's Caller Display Service, enabling them to see who is ringing before they answer the phone, and Three Way Calling, allowing three people to hold a conversation at the same time.

The technology also enables faster tracing of malicious callers and pranksters who endanger lives by making hoax calls to the emergency services. And the new equipment is much more compact then the old electronic system.

"It's like going from vinyl record to compact disc," said Jim Mattocks, BT's exchange modernisation manager.

More than 100,000 York domestic and business customers have "gone digital" since the new technology was first introduced in the city in 1985.

Tomorrow's launch gives the company's remaining 13,000 customers in Tang Hall, Heslington, Hopgrove and parts of Heworth, and also staff and students at York University, the same benefits.

"We know that customers in Melrosegate have been asking for this modernisation," said Mr Mattocks.

Melrosegate was the last exchange in York to go digital because it was only built in the early 1980s with the then latest electronic technology.

Customers affected by the change are being asked to stay off the phone at about 6am tomorrow, when the plugs are pulled on the old system and phones are temporarily cut off.

BT says the changeover will be halted if a customer happens to be ringing 999 at the time, until the call is finished.

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