WAG answers Williams' call to support rural payphones

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 25th Jun 2008

Kirsty in Ystrafellte phonebox

Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon and Radnorshire has secured the Rural Affairs Minister's pledge to call upon BT to consider implications on coverage and safety in rural areas under their proposals to close 281 payphones across Wales.

Kirsty Williams said: "As a result of my question the Minister will be making representations to BT and will be calling upon Ofcom to ensure that BT maintains its universal service obligation to provide adequate coverage through public payphones.

"It is misleading for BT to state that little used payphones are no longer needed as the vast majority of people have mobile phones. Large areas of rural Wales have limited or no network coverage and payphones can be a lifeline in emergency situations. They can mean the difference between getting hold of the emergency services in time or not. Payphones also play an essential part in providing access to services such as child line or domestic abuse lines.

"Throughout my constituency mobile phone coverage is patchy and the phone boxes that have survived BT's last round of culls are on the whole in places where there is no coverage. Even if they are only used once or twice a week they still have the potential to save lives. BT has an obligation to maintain a network of pay phones on the grounds of public safety and social inclusion not on economic viability."

Notes.

There are 4,324 telephone kiosks in Wales. BT is planning to axe 281 pay-phones across Wales where there is another one located within 400 metres. The company is also consulting on the removal of a further 805 payphones as part of a proposed cull of 10,000 boxes across the UK.

BT have identified 190 pay phones for closure in Powys, 94 of which are in Brecon and Radnorshire.

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