The
Moneybox or Coin Telephone 6000Announcing the latest in our range of payphones - the Moneybox.
This new payphone is the first where the person renting the equipment can set the level of call charges. There will, however, be certain conditions to stop this new facility being abused. Moneybox's 'conditions of hire' contract will state the maximum recommended charges for calls. If BT receives complaints from users we will have the right to terminate the rental agreement.
Also, the person renting will be obliged to display a notice showing the charges to which Moneybox has been set, whether they are in line with BT's recommendations and the name and address of the renter for customer complaints. Moneybox was developed from the pulseless technology used in the Sherwood call-cost indicator and represents a technological breakthrough as the first payphone to operate independently of meter-pulses at the exchange.
After plugging Moneybox into any normal exchange line socket the basic call charge information has to be entered into the phone. This is a simple process which takes about 10 minutes. Moneybox then does everything else automatically.
The major benefit of this new equipment is that owners can, for a relatively low cost, prevent calls being made without payment, collect money for those that are made while keeping coin-free telephone use for themselves.
A large market has been identified amongst residential customers - typically families with teenagers, au-pairs, home-helps or lodgers ... or perhaps all four!
Taken from BT Chiltern Link issue 2 (the South Midlands and Chilterns Area staff newsletter)