Telecom Italia revitalizes phone boxes

Telecom Italia is demonstrating a new innovation that aims to breathe new life into the traditional phone box.
 
The telco is trialing its Smart Booth concept in Turin, offering access to tourism, shopping, leisure, and social networking services in addition to regular telephony functions. A touch screen display in the booth will also display adverts, public sector messages, news, and online services for students, while Wi-Fi access is also available during the testing phase.
 
Eco credentials are catered for with a solar panel powering the phone booth, and the installation of pollution monitoring kit. The box also features a video surveillance system that links to the local police, and sports recharging posts for electric vehicles. The firm plans to continue testing the Turin booth through 2012, and will add more cities in the coming weeks.
 
Gianfilippo D’Agostino, Telecom Italia’s public sector head of sales says the Smart Booth will contribute to the development of smart cities, enabling “widespread take-up of digital culture and the Internet of things.”