Public VoIP in French Payphones

Updated: January 07, 2011

Written by: Amelia Gurley

Orange Telecom has brought the payphone back from the age of the dinosaurs - along with a radical new twist: VoIP-enabled payphones. These phones, which feature 17-inch touch screens and VoIP service, are located in multiple French cities for a six-month trial run. They can also be used to browse the internet and check email in addition to their VoIP services, and are currently located in "in four tourist areas (Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, Champs-Elysees, Le Marais), two residential areas (La Villette, Place d'Italie), two student areas (Saint-Michel, Saint-Germain) and three shopping areas (Haussmann, Montparnasse, Bercy)."

The payphones' concept was initially designed by Orange, and their look was designed by Patrick Jouin in collaboration with the street furniture group JCDeacaux (most famous for the self-cleaning public toilet). Orange is a key brand of France Telecom and one of the world leaders in telecommunications with a network that spans 193 million customers and 32 countries. The new payphones are certainly in keeping with the brand’s commitment to “new growth activities” and "to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly."


 

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