Some 1,000 payphones in Australia will now provide those nearby with an internet connection, as Telstra is turning them into free Wi-Fi hotspots.
The new network will be switched on from November, just in time for the busy Christmas period. The phone booths chosen for Telstra’s trial are located in popular tourist locations, such as Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall and Sydney’s Bondi Beach. However, in order to make use of the free Wi-Fi, people will have to stay near to the payphones, as the signal only reaches a maximum of 50 metres, reports dailymail.co.uk.
It’s possible that the Wi-Fi capabilities will revive the existence of payphones, as they have become increasingly unpopular over the years thanks to the introduction of smartphones. In 2009, almost 40,000 payphone were in use, but around 10,000 of these had disappeared by 2013, reports smh.com.au.
Once the trial is complete, only Telstra fixed-line internet customers will be able to use the Wi-Fi for free, others will need to pay.
The move is part of a $100 million Wi-Fi scheme first announced by the company in May. Over the course of five years, some two million hotspots will be introduced around the country. Telstra retail group executive, Gordon Ballantyne, said the new network will help persuade people to switch to their service.
“High-traffic areas and popular hotspots are the areas that matter to our customers and that’s where we’re going first,” he said.
“As part of the first wave we’ve identified 8,000 sites and some of these are payphones. We’ll review that over time and see where there’s a need to invest over time.”
