Telecoms watchdog set to protect some 700 of London’s iconic red phone boxes

Ofcom is set to protect some 5,000 of the UK’s iconic telephone boxes from closure, which could extend to more than 700 in London.

The telecoms regulator will ensure that payphones in locations not covered by all four mobile networks, located at an accident or suicide hotspot, has had more than 52 calls made from it over the last year and whether exceptional circumstances mean there is a need for a public call box in that space, will remain.

A spokesperson told City A.M. that of the 713 in London, those that were more than 400m away from another box and met at least four of the regulator’s criteria would be protected.  

BT, which maintains the majority of the booths, will have to install batteries so that they can operate in a power outage.

If the boxes are no longer needed, however, communities are free to reuse them – which has prompted an increasing number of the red kiosks becoming makeshift libraries.

“Some of the call boxes we plan to protect are used to make relatively low numbers of calls. But if one of those calls is from a distressed child, an accident victim or someone contemplating suicide, that public phone line can be a lifeline at a time of great need,” Ofcom director of connectivity, Selina Chadha said.

“We also want to make sure that people without mobile coverage, often in rural areas, can still make calls. At the same time, we’re planning to support the rollout of new phone boxes with free Wi-Fi and charging.”