Several challenges with the program exist, compared to payphones.
a) It is difficult to hold on to anything when you live on the street, even without any bad habits. Without a place to keep your things, they regularly get lost, stolen, etc. If you have a habit, you may also be tempted to pawn the device for a few bucks.
b) The paperwork and process is minimal, but is still a barrier. For example, some programs do not give you a device on the spot, but it must be mailed to you. I had mine mailed to a post office and it got lost. I never received the device, but I was marked as having ordered one in the system. From that point on, even years later, I could never qualify for another one.
Compare this to a stationary device that's always there that doesn't have to be maintained by you, and the advantages are clear.
New York has a pretty good system of LinkNYC kiosks, which provide basic calling service, and are maintained reasonably well (about half work at any given time.) They were better when they allowed browsing the web, but that functionality was taken away after Reddit raised a stink about someone browsing porn on them.
Hopefully those free phone booths also have a USB port for charging.
https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-cons...
But it's easy to blame Obama.
As someone who thinks free phones to those who need one is a good thing, and thinks Obama was generally a pretty good dude, I wouldn't automatically ready negative sentiment into those words.
It's a neat project though.
I feel like someone who relies on free or community phones would have a similar book of numbers that are meaningful to them.
Of course if you're looking to call somewhere new, then that's definitely an issue.
Quite recently in Australia, every single phone booth in the country was made free to use.
When asked why this was the case, the spokesperson for Telstra (the company that owned them) explained that one of the major users of phone booths were people escaping from domestic violence situations. Apparently it was very common for abusive partners to control phone access (and access to cash, too, hence why they made the network free).
Point is, don't underestimate the importance of obsolete services!
its not _that_ uncommon is it? Given that phreakers are like the genesis of hackers.
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0919/058.html?sh=3e7f98cc...
there's also a few "special" toll-bait destinations in the caribbean which are unusually costly due to the fees charged by their local telco as a revenue source.
Though it does bum me out that a typical comment section on the mainstream news articles is 30% "why is the government spending money on this? Lower my taxes!!" It's a completely volunteer project guys, there is no government money involved... ah well.
Can't he hook it up to ooma or something that only charges the monthly regulatory fees?
Doesn't everyone phone (ha) it in right before Christmas? This is a novelty human interest piece with community, nostalgia, consumerism (all those new iphones in wrapping paper) appea. And you just have to interview one guy? Thats it's own Christmas present if you're on a 24 hour or even daily news cycle.
They are probably kicking themselves for ripping out so many phones in the past, thus giving up the locations.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-technology-communica...
The money comes from a levy on telecommunications carriers (Telstra included, but also most of it's competitors). There was a bit of conjecture in the media that the "free" payphones were really being paid for by the other telcos, once the money Telstra contributes is discounted.
I haven't looked at a copy in forever so I don't know if it's still a thing.
Like this:
Q. Do Links have cameras and what happens to the footage?
There are two security cameras on each Link.
Why would you charge for that? Especially if you want to help homeless etc.?
Just make it a free wifi hotspot and be done with it.
https://exchange.telstra.com.au/why-were-making-payphones-fr...
Perhaps they meant public phone?
https://web.archive.org/web/20090402170754/http://www.patiom...
Hack the planet!
name checks out
