The UK's dominant land-line operator, BT is to allow local authorities to "adopt" a payphone box in situations where the company would normally want to remove it due to lack of use. The iconic red payphone boxes have fallen out of favour thanks to the growth of mobile phones, but in many areas people want to keep them for cosmetic reasons - or as an emergency back up for mobile phones.
Local councils will be offered the chance to pay an annual fee of £500 (US$1,000) to keep a payphone in use - or about half to keep just the structure in place for cosmetic purposes. In some areas, payphone boxes are listed and cannot be removed without planning permission being granted by the council.
BT said: "During the consultation process around removing unprofitable payphones, a number of suggestions have been voiced by local people and local government.
"We have listened to these suggestions and can now confirm that local authorities that wish to maintain red telephone boxes - minus the telephone equipment - for aesthetic or heritage reasons will able to do so.
"In addition, local authorities that have requested to contribute to maintenance costs to retain a red telephone box with a working telephone will also be accommodated."
Approximately half of the UK's payphones have been removed since 2002 - leaving some 60,000 in use.
Posted to the site on 28th August 2008
Five classic old phone boxes by Bow St in London - photo courtesy markhillary
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/33300.php