Portsmouth payphones could be turned into communication hubs with defibrillators and wifi

Advertising giant JCDecaux said the age of the ‘ubiquitous single-use phone box has passed’ and that the new multi-purpose equipment, which can provide free wi-fi; free charity calls; and CCTV, was better suited.

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The firm’s planning application proposes the reuse of payphones on the pavement outside University House in Winston Churchill Avenue and outside Mercantile House in Lord Montgomery Way.

‘The rise in mobile phone use has led to a decline in the use of the traditional public payphone,’ a statement submitted with its application said. ‘Many of the existing kiosks in towns and cities remain a legacy of the past and often a blight on our streets.

‘What has replaced it in a digital age, is the public desire to stay connected when out of home and the adoption of ways that public bodies can engage with the public and vice versa.

‘Data from recently installed hub units in the UK demonstrate the public appetite for and uptake in the use of the services provided by the hub.’

The company said its machines offer Wi-Fi, free phone calls to landlines and charities, defibrillators, wayfinding tools, device charging, emergency service connections and public messaging capabilities, which are funded through adverts displayed on them.

Should planning permission be granted, the defibrillator would be installed through a partnership with Community Heartbeat Trust.

The council has set a deadline of June 16 for reaching a decision.