Payphones Past

Maine: Good Old Pay Phones

This story describes how the residents of Cliff Island, Maine, took advantage of Maine’s “Public Interest Payphone Program” to restore access to a public telephone in an area where cell phone coverage is spotty to non-existent.
“… the new communications order has left some people in the lurch. Maybe they find themselves in one of the many [cell phone] dead zones. Or maybe they can’t afford or just plain don’t like cell phones. Some people on Maine’s offshore islands feel especially deprived.”

Similar programs exist from state to state, and were enacted as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act — see the Establishment of Public Interest Payphones section. Rules for who might qualify for a Public Interest Payphone can differ significantly from state to state. Residents of rural or remote areas are encouraged to follow the example set by the residents of Cliff Island, Maine: if lack of access to phone service constitutes a public safety hazard then get your lawmakers involved.
Read more at Bangornews.com

the payphone project

Recent Posts

Payphones and Payphone Vestiges at a Rego Park Subway Station Today

[gallery link="none" size="large" columns="1" ids="14629,14630,14631,14632"]

5 months ago

Dead Phones in Jamaica, Queens. February, 2025.

These charmers are a recent discovery for me.

5 months ago

Payphone Project on the TODAY Show, 1999

https://youtu.be/ajkLQ3RJrsY I procured a VCR for the purpose of digitizing some of my old VHS…

1 year ago

A Bronx and Marble Hill Payphone Stramble [Video]

https://youtu.be/0tUj9-TonbY Starts at the Fordham Road subway, where one of the phones I looked at…

2 years ago

Unexpected Payphone Find on Atlantic Avenue in Queens

An unexpected payphone find in Ozone Park, Queens, led to a trip through its Streetview…

2 years ago