Card phones to replace coin phoaes soon

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 35

Card phones to replace coin phoaes soon

PA Auckland Coin-operated public telephones might disappear within a year, says Telecom’s managing director, Dr Peter Troughton. He told the Telecom Users’ Association that a changeover to credit card pay phones should be possible within 12 months. The cards could be x bought at dairies or newsagents as in other countries, where the system had been well accepted. Card phones were virtually vandal-proof. “We have a pay phone service at the moment which dates from the

19305,” he said. Card telephones gave users a visual display of the length of time spent on a call.

Dr Troughton said

Telecom would also try to work with facsimile machine dealers to stimulate use of the telephone network. "Even though we have our own facsimile machines, it suits us to stimulate the others. We make some money,” he said. The off-peak rate of 38c between Auckland and Wellington or Christchurch would apply from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Dr Troughton said facsimile machines which were programmable could be used overnight to send business material to a host of destinations at the

low rate. “It cuts out the costs of envelopes, going to the post office, and the stamps,” he said.