In about half a year, there will be no payphones left in Lithuania - once popular means of communication.
Telia, the telecommunications company serving 99 such devices throughout Lithuania, announced that it plans to dismantle the payphones by the middle of next year.
Vida Gobienė, head of Telia's regulated services, said that they were installed at a time when mobile communication seemed like a distant future.
"Today, we can make calls not only with phones, but also with watches, things communicate with each other, autonomous and remote-controlled cars are on the streets, so the future has already arrived," V. Gobienė said in the announcement.
Telia was obliged to provide this service, because payphones were considered a universal service, and the operators had to maintain them at their own expense.
However, the new version of the Electronic Communications Law will enter into force on December 1st, the provisions of the European Electronic Communications Code have been transferred to it, and they no longer include payphones as a universal service.
"The condition of the remaining payphone booths and equipment will be assessed by our specialists. We plan to transfer a part of them to interested scientific and technical institutions or museums", said V. Gobienė.
Museum guide: interesting object
Mykolas Bistrickas, director of the Museum of Energy and Technology, told BNS that payphones have the potential to become part of future projects and presentations.
"Payphones are an interesting object and they are part of our history. Now we haven't considered where we could use it or how to represent and present that story, but I think there is food for thought," said M. Bistrick.
According to him, at least one payphone must go to the museum fund.
When asked if people are interested in the means of communication from earlier times, he said a lot depends on how the exhibit is presented.
"If you choose the right direction, the way to present a certain historical fact, you can always interest a person and encourage him to think about where it comes from and why it is," he said.
According to the director, a modern person, especially young people, may be surprised by the disappeared profession of a telephone operator and the physical connection of a call, but knowledge of history allows us to see the technological progress of mankind.
"The presentation of this is also important, because it also shows our development, evolution, moving forward, and it encourages thinking," said M. Bistrick.
In the last year, 99 thousand of the 2 operating payphones in Lithuania were made. calls, their average duration did not exceed 30 seconds, according to the telecommunications company.
Lithuania is one of the last countries in the European Union that has not yet completely abandoned payphones.
Author Vytautas Budzinauskas
