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AT&T to Phase Out Pay Phones By 2009



The writing is on the cave wall as a tried and true friend moves from city mainstay to relic of the Stone Age. Telephone giant AT&T will leave the pay phone market by the end of 2008, the company announced today. PR Newswire reports that the widespread use of cell phones and other communication devices has left AT&T with a declining market it no longer wishes to pursue. The phasing out of public pay phones and phones contracted out to correctional facilities will begin immediately and be limited to AT&T's thirteen state service area. Verizon, meanwhile, continues to offer pay phone service in 33 out of 50 states.

The move by AT&T, though, follows a general trend in the shrinking pay phone market. BellSouth Corporation, an AT&T acquisition in 2006, halted pay phone service in its nine state area in 2001. Indeed, today there are only about 1 million public pay phones in the United States, compared to 2.8 million in 1998. It is expected, however, that independent providers will pick up a portion of AT&T's business. In its announcement, the company assured customers that it will honor all existing contracts over the next year, while publicizing alternative providers and service options.

As sentimental as we can get about the passing of an era into a new, annoying age in which even nine year-olds have a CrackBerry and Bluetooth headset attached to the dome, we realize that it's true: All good things must come to an end, especially when we're talking wireless.

From PR Newswire Via MarketWatch (AOL Money & Finance)


Public Phones and Phone Booths of the World





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