From 1997, with the appearance of the mobile phones, the use of telephone booths dropped significantly in France. In 2000, despite very little use, they generated a turnover of 516 million euros. But between 2012 and 2015, their use fell by 90%, generating losses for Orange of more than 10 million euros a year. "Cabin traffic is now only 0.6% of what it was in 2000," said Laurentino Lavezzi, the director of public affairs of Orange, to Le Parisien newspaper.
The growing mobile phone market, the permanent degradation of the Public phones and the 14 million euros disbursed each year for their maintenance will have got the better of this symbol of the French landscape of the last century.
An European choice
Germany and England are in the process of dismantling their telephone booths. The British operator Britsh Telecom has indeed announced the dismantling of half of these famous "red phone boxes" by the end of 2022. The reasons are the same as in France, no one uses it and losses amount to £ 6 million a year.
Original reuses
In France, city halls ask Orange to donate these relics to turn them into "mini-libraries" installed on public roads. They can also be used for art projects. There are already 1257. For those who cannot be saved, glass and aluminium will be recycled by Veolia.
Sold for a second life
It was in 1884, in Paris, that the first public telephone appeared and it is in June 2017, that the last Parisian Publiphone was dismounted rue Ordener in the eighteenth arrondissement. Ads on e-bay offer to buy this retro object already sold between 80 and 750 euros depending on the model.
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