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Joined: Feb 2010
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Posts: 80 |
I was curious if anyone knows what kind of payphones the RBOCs (baby Bells) used in the later years?
Here in Missouri, the only payphones you will see are those owned by private companies,(cocot) as AT&T no longer offers payphone service.
Did AT&T use "smart" payphones (ones with a computer board inside) in the later years, or did they still use the older ones that were controlled by the CO itself?
I have a few "smart" payphones, and an older 3 slot Northern electric as well.
Did not know if I should have posted in Antique phones, or here.
Thanks,
Will
Will G.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 15,412 Likes: 18
Moderator-Vertical, Vodavi, 1A2, Outside Wire
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Moderator-Vertical, Vodavi, 1A2, Outside Wire
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 15,412 Likes: 18 |
Here in the DC area, Verizon still uses "dumb" phones. Before Verizon was formed, Bell Atlantic started marketing coin phone service in adjacent GTE territories, but they used "smart" phones in those installations.
It has been quite a while since I saw a BellSouth pay phone (I think they were the first RBOC to stop offering coin service) and it trickled over to at&t's operations. I know that BellSouth was still using dumb phones shortly before they stopped in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Ed Vaughn, MBSWWYPBX
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Joined: Feb 2010
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Thanks Ed,
That makes sense. Those Western Electric pay phones were so well built, and didn't require programming like the "smart" payphones do. Would have been easier to maintain, for sure!
Wonder what happened to the ones that were removed from service?
Will
Will G.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Moderator-Vertical, Vodavi, 1A2, Outside Wire
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Moderator-Vertical, Vodavi, 1A2, Outside Wire
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There are many places that buy them and refurbish them for private sale as "collector's items". I believe that the unions representing some of the BellSouth employees started up one of these programs and were donating the proceeds to charity. There are also places like www.payphone.com that buy and sell them.
Ed Vaughn, MBSWWYPBX
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 80
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At least they are being put to use again, instead of going to the dump.
I bought the ones I have on Ebay, as well as local flea markets. I have 2 smart payphones, an old 3 slot as well as a Nortel Centurion, along with my antique phones.
Thanks again for the info, and have a nice week!
~Will~
Will G.
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