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The End Of The Red Phone Box?
BT has confirmed that it will replace its famous and much-revered red boxes with new wi-fi and phone charging kiosks.
21:07 26 October 2016
The phonebox is dead. BT has announced that it will be replaced with new wi-fi and phone charging kiosks called Links. The stands will open up on major high streets in London first. They will be eventually rolled out to the rest of the country.
Users near the Links will be able to connect to free ultrafast wi-fi and can make free calls to landlines and mobiles. The links also have mobile phone charging through two USB ports and a touchscreen tablet that offers information such as maps or local services.
Rajesh Agrawal, London’s deputy mayor for business, said: “I welcome this exciting new addition to London’s streets.
“Expanding London’s digital infrastructure is a priority for the Mayor, and LinkUK can play a big part in improving connectivity for Londoners and visitors to our city, while reducing street clutter by upgrading and reducing the number of phone boxes.
“London is already widely regarded as one of the technological capitals of the world but the Mayor is determined to improve connectivity across the city to ensure we maintain that position.”
BT chief executive for wholesale and ventures Gerry McQuade said: “We’re evolving the phone box to make it relevant in the 21st century by offering people ultrafast wi-fi and a range of digital and information services entirely for free.
“London is one of the greatest cities in the world and it’s entirely fitting that it becomes the first UK city to benefit from the Links. But we will be rolling out many more Links to the other great cities across the UK over the coming months as we look to transform the look and functionality of our public payphones.”