Believe it or not, there is still a demand (albeit small and decreasing) for payphones.
In particular in an airport environment, passengers can run out of battery charge, may have no phone credit or are suspicious of their carrier’s international roaming call charges.
They may need to make an emergency services call, and then there are still some passengers who simply don’t travel with a mobile device. Put simply, it is still a requirement for airports to provide payphones.
Gatwick wanted an alternative solution to the 80+ BT payphones dotted around the Airport campus. With the objective of reducing to 8 payphone location, they needed something eye catching that provided the basic payphone service, coin and credit calls, and would facilitate skype video calls.
With the increase in broadband speed and capacity, telephone communication over the Internet (VoIP) is now just as reliable as a traditional telephone line, at a fraction of the cost. The new phone boxes at Gatwick Airport, supplier by SurfBox, provide a traditional coin operated payphone which makes calls over the Internet (VoIP) and a 19” touchscreen for video skype and credit card calls. The phone box is a great hit with passengers, providing a necessary service and a great photo opportunity, as it’s typically British.
“The trial of the new phone-boxes have brought a breath of fresh air to the Airport, its already proving hugely popular with arriving passengers. We want all passengers to have a great experience at London Gatwick and this has become a great photo opportunity for tourists, whilst providing an essential service in anunexpected and fun way. SurfBox took on the challenge to deliver this innovative, yet essential service, they understood the requirements and they have delivered a great product.”
Charlotte Christiansen – Business Development & Retail Performance Manager. Gatwick Airport.