Tokyo government announces removal of all public phones from city’s Toei subway stations
Decision wasn’t made by the transportation bureau, though. Generally speaking, when the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation has an announcement to make, it has something to do with trains, buses, or some other form of public transit. One of the organization’s latest statements, though, is about phones. Specifically, it’s about public phones inside subway stations, […]
The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation has announced the removal of all public phones from Toei Subway stations, effective by November 2028. This decision is not made by the transportation bureau, but rather by telecommunications operator NTT East. NTT East is removing its public phones from Toei Subway stations because they no longer consider them cost-effective due to the prevalence of smartphones and messaging apps.
While public phones are not as essential in modern times, they still serve as critical disaster-relief infrastructure. However, under Japan's Telecommunications Business Act, certain regulations require a minimum number of public phones for every 500 square meters or per square kilometer in urban and other areas, respectively. Public phones inside rail stations, classified as Type-2 Public Phones, are not required to meet these regulations due to their non-continuous operating hours.
NTT East will gradually remove these phones over the next two years, with each station notifying the public at least two weeks before the removal date. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation recommends using NTT East's website search function to locate alternative phone options.
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