Payphones Of The Future
Wednesday 06 April 2005 at 1:41 pm. I was reading about how phone companies are removing unprofitable pay phones from places across the US. In some cases, this is causing a lot of uproar from residents of smaller communities, where cell service may be spotty or non-existent, or where many residents don't have their own home phone.We have so much technology that it seems silly that we don't have a solution. In the article above, the Fayette Country Store had their pay phone removed by the phone company because it was unprofitable. Why can't the store provide a pay phone?
The store probably gets a decent amount of business by having that pay phone available. Now why couldn't the store get their own pay phone, charge 2x as much for calls, and pay for itself. The pay phone could be controlled by a cheap PC inside, use a standard phone line or even a cell line, and sell phone cards at the store...profit!
I know there are companies that provide pay phone service to other businesses, maybe not in Maine though. I just think it is silly that people complain about the phone company being more interested in the revenue than the community. The community needs to take action themselves, and the technology is there for them to use. If they want a phone, they should pay for it, regardless of who is running it.
Besides, access to a telephone isn't a constitutional right.
two comments
Access to a phone is not a constitutional right.
However, it is so good to find one along the road on remote areas, or when the cell phone battery dies.
In my opinion, they should make them less costly to mantain. For example: calling card only (so no-one has to go to pick up the coins). One phone as opposed to 4 phones in some areas.
Jose Anes (Email) (URL) - 12-05-’05 12:49
It seems also that businesses should be able to pay the phone company to place a pay phone in their business if they really want one. Much like businesses pay to have candy machines placed in their buildings. If I remember correctly the Brady Bunch got their phone company to place a payphone in their family room. You would think Mike Brady had to pay extra for that… however they never covered that in the show.
Russ (URL) - 06-04-’05 14:37