At one time, they were on every street corner... now payphones can be a very rare sight.
The C-R-T-C has launched a public consultation into payphone use in Canada, and is also seeking comments on whether to prohibit phone companies from removing the last payphone in a community until the end of the fact-finding process.
Michelle Englot, Director of External Communications for SaskTel, says payphones are a declining line of business for them.
"In terms of usage, its also declining, obviously. In 2005, there were 5 million and 2012 we had 2.8 million"
Englot notes that SaskTel currently has around 1800 payphones in 300 communities, down from 5300 phones in 2005.
She adds they look at each phone on an individual basis when considering their removal, but also realize that payphones remain an essential service for some people.
Thu, Apr 25, 9:30 AM
