Payphones Past

North Carolina: Cell-phone use growing among the homeless

20 years ago

"Cell phones are increasingly popular among the Triangle's homeless. With public pay phones quietly disappearing and prices on cell phones…

Atlanta: ETS Payphone Scammer Heads to Jail

20 years ago

"An Atlanta man will spend the next 13 years in prison for defrauding more than 12,000 people out of $400…

Australia Government to Telstra: “Please explain”

20 years ago

"In the past six years nearly 17,000 payphones have disappeared, and initial reports suggested Telstra wanted to cut 5000 of…

Verizon Payphones: Out They Go

20 years ago

The New York Times, which did a front page profile of the Payphone Project on May 13, 2004, today has…

Maine: Commission may require free public telephones

20 years ago

"On Thursday, the Maine Public Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing on a rule change that would allow it…

UK: BT hangs up on internet payphone

20 years ago

"BT has pulled the plug in an ambitious scheme to replace 28,000 red phone boxes with all-singing, all-dancing Internet-enabled payphones."…

Canada: The Vanishing Pay Phone

20 years ago

Telus says they're considering "curfewed" payphones, which function normally during the day but only allow for emergency calls after dark.…

Groups Fight N.Y. State Prison Collect Call “Kickbacks”

20 years ago

"A portion of the 'overcharge' paid by inmates' families on high priced prison calls is extorted by the State of…

The Payphone: A Lifeline That’s Often Out of Order

20 years ago

TMCnet reports on Washington D.C. Payphone usage: "In some neighborhoods, pay phones always seem to be broken. It hurts poor…

Fugitive tracked through pay phone

20 years ago

In case you thought calls made from payphones were anonymous, read this story. Read more at the St. Pete Times