Pay Phones in New York to be Replaced with Smart Screens

250 pay phones in New York City will be replaced with “smart screens” that will be connected to the internet sometime next month. This project which is viewed as a pilot project will be implemented throughout the city if it is successful. The 32-inch screens that will replace the pay phones will display information about the local neighborhood which includes a list of restaurants, stores, traffic updates, landmarks and safety alerts.

And also to cater for the cornucopia of residents and visitors of New York, the screens will be able to feature its perks in multiple languages. With time, it is reported that the machines will be able to serve as Wifi Hot-spots as well as a little port to check your email or make a call on Skype. For now, the City will not have to pay anything for the units and if the initial program does become a success, 36% of the ad revenue will go to the City.

There are critics about this plan who say that these are waste of money since everyone now has a smartphone and that these screens will be a waste of money. They add that there are people who get their entertainment from destroying property who will eventually turn to these smart screens as well. On the other hand there are also people who support the idea and say that not everybody has a smart phone so it will be interesting to see how the program runs in New York over the next few months at least.