Thousands of payphones in the UK should not be removed, it reads a decision by the British telecom watchdog Ofcom. Although the use of the mobile phone has declined to a fraction of what it once was, Ofcom still sees added value in the iconic red boxes.
A payphone must remain in place if it meets one of four criteria: if there is no reception from all four major UK mobile networks in that location, if there are many accidents or suicides in the area, if at least 52 times of the telephone has been used in the past year, or if there are other special circumstances.
According to Ofcom, about 5,000 of the 21,000 phone booths meet this requirement. Very few calls may be made from such a cell, “but if one of those calls is from a child in distress, an accident victim, or someone contemplating suicide, such a public phone can be a lifeline in times of dire need,” said Ofcom. The payphones must also be supplied with batteries so that they can be used during a power outage.
Minibibliotheek
In recent years, some 6000 telephone boxes have been given a different function. For example, there are cells that have been converted into mini-libraries or into places where a defibrillator is hanging. A new type of cell is also emerging: a public ‘hub’ where passers-by can make free use of telephone chargers and Wi-Fi.
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