It strikes a chord with many modern-day cost cutting ideas, from letting cars drive on the hard shoulder of motorways, to NHS plans for 'watching and waiting' rather than healing.
The one clue I'd suggest, then as now, if it is a 'world first' as described by the GPO, then it is worth careful consideration. There may be good reasons why nobody else is doing it.
That said, I have no idea whether other countries adopted Aluminium cabling too. Anybody know?