Pay phones have been around almost since the time the telephone was invented. Even in days when the telephone was a luxury, pay phones dotted the streets for the common man to use. In the present day, though almost everybody has a telephone and a mobile phone, the significance of pay phones has not decreased a bit.
Some people may question the need of pay phones in current times. The answer to this is that though the mobile phone is portable and can be carried anywhere, there are times when the battery dies or the phone does not catch the signals. Hence the user is unable to make a call. In this scenario, pay phones act as saviours when the person needs help or has to pass on an important message.
Pay phones are mostly found located in public places, where people might need to make a call in an emergency, like airports, railway stations, street corners, gas stations etc. sometimes it is kept at an elevation for people to use while they are driving. It is specially a boon for people who fall in the low income bracket and cannot afford a mobile phone.
One can make a call using a pay phone by inserting money (usually coins). The denomination of coins inserted is the rate per call, and it is very minimal. These days, one can even use a debit card, a credit card, a special telephone card or even a multi purpose card as a mode of payment in these pay phones. Calling cards and prepaid cards too have become common means paying for pay phones.
Most of these pay phones are regulated by the British Telecom in the UK, but there are other providers as well now. The rent for these phones varies from country to country. These days pay phones too come in sleek designs and this reiterates that pay phones are still in demand, despite the prevalence of other means of communication.
