Pay Phones

Since 1995, DoITT has regulated public pay telephones (PPTs) installed on the City's public sidewalks. As of March 2015, there were 8,178 active public pay telephones on the City's sidewalks, regulated by DoITT. While usage has decreased significantly, PPTs are still used for regular and long distance calls, and also provide free access to 911 and 311.

Pay Phone Legacy and Transformation

DoITT began piloting payphone WiFi during the summer of 2012, which expanded to more than 25 locations across the five boroughs. Announcement of this pilot program was coupled with the release of the “Future of the Payphone” Request for Information, or RFI.



