The boxes, at the St Peter Port bus terminus, were being removed yesterday as Sure said they were beyond repair. Work is expected to finish very soon.
‘Unfortunately, they are beyond repair and have seen very little use in recent years. Replacing them would require sourcing entirely new refurbished units, which is not a viable option,’ said CEO Alistair Beak.
Payphone use has dramatically decreased since the introduction of mobile phones. In the UK, call volumes have fallen from 800 million minutes in 2002 to 7 million in 2020.
‘We understand the community’s fondness for these iconic structures. But while we appreciate the heritage value they hold, we must also balance this with practical considerations around maintenance and usage,' Mr Beak added.
‘We are living increasingly digital lives, and Sure is focusing investment on infrastructure and services that better reflect how people communicate today.’
One of the earliest public telephones in Guernsey was located in Trinity Square in 1898, but it was not until 1951 when Guernsey’s signature ‘banana yellow’ telephone box made its appearance, the first being installed at White Rock.
At its informal unveiling, the States Telephone Department’s manager explained that the bright yellow colour was necessary to ensure that the box was clearly visible day and night. Despite initial objections from the public, these telephone boxes became a common sight in Guernsey.
The switch to digital has seen many phone boxes in the UK re-purposed as locations for defibrillators or miniature libraries.
This includes a yellow telephone box outside the museum in Alderney, which was converted to a book swap in 2022.
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