Today, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority has issued its Decision Notice on the Provision of Public Pay Telephones and other Public Voice Telephony Access Points.

The Decision follows the public consultation launched by the GRA in November 2023 in which it sought to gather feedback from as many interested parties as possible in respect of the potential removal and/or reduction in the current number of public payphones in Gibraltar. Under local communications legislation, Gibtelecom is designated as the universal service provider regarding the provision of public payphones.

Whilst public payphones have been a fixture of public spaces for decades, the widespread proliferation of mobile phones, changes in telecommunications technology as well as shifts in usage habits amongst end-users have raised questions about the continued need for public payphones.

Having considered the feedback received from interested parties, some charities and the general public, and as set out in its Decision Notice, the GRA has concluded that there will be no further reduction in the current number of public payphones throughout Gibraltar and that the obligation currently placed on Gibtelecom as universal service provider in respect of the provision of Public Pay Telephones and other Public Voice Telephony Access Points shall remain in force.

The GRA says it will continue to monitor the current number of public payphones and reserves the right to consult on this matter again in response to public demand or business needs, should these arise.

Notwithstanding, throughout the consultation process the GRA identified an important point that requires further clarification for the benefit of the general public.

Many of the responses received by the GRA, including comments on different social media sites regarding the consultation, appeared to be more concerned with the

“British cultural significance” and “iconic” status of the traditional “K6” red telephone boxes, rather than the actual service they provide.

The GRA would like to make clear that there is a distinction between the obligation placed on Gibtelecom as universal service provider in respect of the provision of public payphones, and the cultural significance and touristic element of the traditional “K6” red telephone boxes.

Under the Communications Act 2006, the GRA has a statutory obligation to ensure that a designated universal service provider provides public payphones or other public voice telephony access points to meet the reasonable needs of end-users. However, this obligation does not extend to specifying the type of telephone box (such as a “K6”) to be used and falls outside the GRA’s regulatory remit.

Decision Notice C01/24 on the Provision of Public Pay Telephones and other Public Voice Telephony Access Points can be accessed on the GRA website www.gra.gi