BT and Global have announced a 10 year partnership to upgrade high-street pay-phones.
The new agreement will see Global convert up to 2000 BT pay-phones and kiosks into “Street Hubs” which will provide public wifi and mobile connectivity. The group will also sell marketing and advertising on BT’s existing Street Hubs.
The companies explained that this would provide better connectivity and hyper-local advertising in more than 200 towns and cities across the UK.
“We are absolutely delighted to continue our partnership with BT for at least another 10 years,” said Stephen Miron, Global’s Group CEO.
“Street Hubs have become increasingly attractive to advertisers, given their striking presence and prominent positioning on the major streets across the UK. Together with BT, we have very exciting and ambitious plans to significantly expand the Street Hub network, alongside some highly innovative solutions for advertisers. BT have been a great partner, and we look forward to continuing this relationship over the next decade.”
The Street Hubs offer connectivity at speeds of up to 1Gbps within a 150-metre radius, with the newer “Street Hub 2” units having a dedicated 999 calling button; USBs for free device charging; and touch-screen tablets displaying real-time public information from local councils. They also feature screens to open up digital, street-level advertising for businesses.
“BT’s payphones have long been an iconic feature on the UK’s streets – and with the way we all communicate changing, today’s announcement marks a further step into the future,” added Bas Burger, CEO – Business at BT.
“There are already almost 1,000 modern digital Street Hubs bringing communication benefits to local communities across the UK. By bringing together BT’s rock-solid connectivity with Global’s unrivalled expertise in out-of-home advertising, we can almost triple this number over the next decade.”
