BT is to roll out a phone box fit for the 21st century offering free calls and ultrafast Wi-Fi.
The ultramodern Link kiosks will open on major high streets across London next year complete with charging points, access to maps and tourist information.
BT said the rollout marked "the next evolution" of its public payphones and would bring digital innovation to the streets of London.
Read more: Public sector 'will be ready' with trains bid if ScotRail operator axed
Hundreds of BT's existing phone boxes will be replaced by the new Links, which will take up less space on the pavement, the telecoms giant said.
However they will be installed in smaller numbers than the payphones they replace, with "at least 750" appearing across central London and other cities over the next few years.
Users within range of a Link will be able to access free ultrafast Wi-Fi with speeds of up to 1Gbps, and the kiosks will offer free UK landline and mobile phone calls, mobile device charging via two USB charging ports and a touch-screen tablet for accessing maps, directions and local services.
Read more: Public sector 'will be ready' with trains bid if ScotRail operator axed
The Links will also have sensors to capture real-time data relating to the local environment, such as air and noise pollution, outdoor temperature and traffic conditions, with potential for the information to be fed into smart services.
BT said the service would be funded by revenue from advertising on the Links' digital displays.
Rajesh Agrawal, London's deputy mayor for business, said: "I welcome this exciting new addition to London's streets.
"Expanding London's digital infrastructure is a priority for the Mayor, and LinkUK can play a big part in improving connectivity for Londoners and visitors to our city, while reducing street clutter by upgrading and reducing the number of phone boxes.
"London is already widely regarded as one of the technological capitals of the world but the Mayor is determined to improve connectivity across the city to ensure we maintain that position."
Read more: Public sector 'will be ready' with trains bid if ScotRail operator axed
BT chief executive for wholesale and ventures Gerry McQuade said: "We're evolving the phone box to make it relevant in the 21st century by offering people ultrafast Wi-Fi and a range of digital and information services entirely for free.
"London is one of the greatest cities in the world and it's entirely fitting that it becomes the first UK city to benefit from the Links. But we will be rolling out many more Links to the other great cities across the UK over the coming months as we look to transform the look and functionality of our public payphones."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel