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Thousands of payphones across the UK could be protected under new rules proposed by Ofcom.
The regulator said it wants to safeguard phone boxes from removal if they meet certain criteria. It estimates some 5,000 phone boxes could be protected.
The criteria includes payphones in locations not already covered by all four mobile networks, those in an area considered an accident or suicide hotspot, and those which have had more than 52 calls made from them in the past 12 months.
There are also exceptional circumstances such as issues related to the location of the phone box, for example those in a coastal location where mobile reception is poor, and those from which helpline numbers have been called.
Ofcom said there are around 21,000 boxes across the country, and that almost 150,000 calls were made to emergency services from phone boxes in the year to May 2020, while 25,000 calls were made to Childline and 20,000 to Samaritans.
Ofcom said there are around 21,000 boxes across the country, and that almost 150,000 calls were made to emergency services from phone boxes in the year to May 2020
BT