Say goodbye to pay phones!

[rbcp]

from http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=24840

AT&T announced today that they are exiting the pay phone business, and will be phasing out 65,000 pay phones in 13 states, according to Bloomberg.

From AT&T:

    The company plans to phase out both public pay phones and phones provided under contracts at government correctional facilities through the end of next year. All customers will receive advance notification of specific plans as well as information on other potential providers and product options.

The move affects AT&T pay phones in the company's traditional 13-state service area only. BellSouth Corp., which was acquired by AT&T Inc. in late 2006, had previously exited the pay phone business in its nine-state service area. AT&T's wholesale pay phone services are not affected.

Public Communications will honor all existing customer contract terms and conditions while continuing to provide excellent customer service throughout the withdrawal process.

"This is the right time for us to take this step on behalf of our customers, employees and stockholders," said David Huntley, senior vice president for Customer Information Services. "We expect that independent providers will pick up much of this business, and, as we exit the business, we will be able to refocus our resources to areas that offer stronger growth potential and greater opportunity for the company." The phone company cited "significant pressure" from "reduced pay phone usage" as a result of cellphones as the reason for the phase out. AT&T installed the first coin-operated pay phone at a bank in Hartford, CT in 1889.

So I guess this is all the newest AT&T states, such as California, Texas, and most of the midwest.  Do COCOTS even make enough money to survive these days?  I doubt even 75% of the removed AT&T phones will be replaced by COCOTS.

[Tachyon]

I guess this means that 711 will let me use their phone again for free now?

[Nod]

I wonder what kind of system prisoners in the penitentiary and jail systems are going to use now that they can't use the pay phone to make collect calls and run up their families phone bills.

[Scienceman123]

Now what are we all going to do? Move to a less-advanced country?

Hell, even they all have cell phones now.

[rbcp]

I wonder what kind of system prisoners in the penitentiary and jail systems are going to use now that they can't use the pay phone to make collect calls and run up their families phone bills.

I'm sure the pay phones in jails/prisons will always be very profitable.  Their rates are nuts and the prisoners don't have any other choice for phone calls.

[Raptor]

I guess we'll all have to hold a redbox up to the empty phone booths, to simulate the good old days...

[Nod]

I guess we'll all have to hold a redbox up to the empty phone booths, to simulate the good old days...

I'm sure the smaller companies will leave their phone booths in place for a little while longer.

[Tachyon]

Wouldn't it be 1337 as fuck if we had our own payphones we could just sneak up and weld into place on all the abandoned poles? Either that or signs advertising for PLA or something else. Actually this gets more and more stupid as I think about it.

[DataHog512]

*sob* NOOOOOO! FUCK YOU AT&T!!! *sob*

Well, I was reading that Verison, the second largest payfone provider, says they have no plans to phase out pay phones any time soon, So thats one good thing.

Hmm, are own payfones... thats SO stupid it just might work! or not... Come brothers! We must keep the pay phones alive!

(man i'm bored...)

[astralninja]

Ohh noes, I make lots of calls on the payphones. I guess i will have to move on.

[Nod]

*sob* NOOOOOO! FUCK YOU AT&T!!! *sob*

Well, I was reading that Verison, the second largest payfone provider, says they have no plans to phase out pay phones any time soon, So thats one good thing.

Hmm, are own payfones... thats SO stupid it just might work! or not... Come brothers! We must keep the pay phones alive!

(man i'm bored...)

I would like to request at this time that you pre-write all your posts in a text editor that checks for grammer and spelling errors.

[DataHog512]

Oh sorry, just so you know, I spelled it "fone" on porpase. But in the future, I'll try to use better grammer.

Back on topic, if we want PLA pay phones, go to
http://cgi.ebay.com/Payphone-Pay-Phone-Telephone-Used-LIQUIDATION-SALE_W0QQitemZ150188837237QQihZ005QQcategoryZ985QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

A liquidation sale of AT&T payphones, so this is a double-edged sowrd, somthing good comes out of it at a high price.
                                       I'm G0NN4 G37 M3 4 P4YF0N3 DUDES!!11
If yoo don't speek 1337--->(I'm gonna get me a payphone dudes!!!!)

[M-26-7]

Oh sorry, just so you know, I spelled it "fone" on porpase. But in the future, I'll try to use better grammer.

Back on topic, if we want PLA pay phones, go to
http://cgi.ebay.com/Payphone-Pay-Phone-Telephone-Used-LIQUIDATION-SALE_W0QQitemZ150188837237QQihZ005QQcategoryZ985QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

A liquidation sale of AT&T payphones, so this is a double-edged sowrd, somthing good comes out of it at a high price.
                                       I'm G0NN4 G37 M3 4 P4YF0N3 DUDES!!11
If yoo don't speek 1337--->(I'm gonna get me a payphone dudes!!!!)

Wait, what?
You posted something interesting? HOW?
I kind of wish I had 60$ to burn on a payphone.

[gangals]

But in the future, I'll try to use better grammer.

 

[MegaKitsune]

Damn, wish I had read this forum before I emailed you RBCP. 

That payphone auction is interesting, but what I'd really be bidding for is the payphone keys that come with it, you could like open every coinbox and take all the money, or put dog crap inside of it, or something.