THE tokens that were never enough, and then the ATM cards are indelible memories for those who lived in the era before cell phones and smartphones, devices which also brought about their definitive death. But, surprisingly, unlike what had been established, for the 2,500 telephone booths that are still found in the streets and squares of 13 Italian citiesinstead of starting the farewell countdown, an interesting restyling will begin.
The new digital telephone booths
Tim announced it a few days ago, explaining that some of them, in fact, will be completely transformed in look and functions, providing for the activation of a whole series of useful services. Between these, a very important one for video surveillance which will make the stations important safety devices in the face of situations of potential risk for women or for petty crime phenomena in general.
New life for telephone booths: they will be a safe place for women in difficulty (Getty)
A safety device for women too
The new telephone booths will all be digital and will allow touch screen access to a vast range of digital services and contents, including those of public utility. The trailblazer for this sort of “intelligent” station will be the Municipality of Milan which, as early as 2024, will make the city’s streets and squares increasingly smart and sustainable.
In addition to the completely renewed design, the cabins aim to be real digital stations for citizens through which they can use infotainment services, smartphone charging, digital payments and ticketing, free calls to national landlines and mobile numbers. Furthermore, they will represent an evolved and inclusive garrisonwith applications created specifically to allow access to information and digital services also to people with motor disabilities, linguistic or visual barriers.
Equality cannot wait
The digital booths, which are part of the broader TIM project “Equality cannot wait” for the gender gap, they will also represent an important safeguard for safety in the face of potential risk situations. Thanks, indeed, to the Women+ buttonIn fact, it will be possible to access a support service with an operator in real time to report, manage and assist the person who requests it. It’s about a functionality with social value which provides the community with a tool to combat episodes of violence against women or phenomena of petty crime.
Milan leads the way, then the other cities
The support for the culture, tourism and institutional information that the Municipality will want to provide to its citizens in real time. For example, the artistic offer of the city, cinemas, theatres, museums, concerts and events, purchasing tickets, choosing a restaurant, booking a taxi, checking the weather forecast and transport timetables, obtaining information on traffic. The start of the project, as announced, will begin from the Municipality of Milan, where approximately 450 stations will be progressively installed and then extended to 13 main cities for 2,500 facilities.
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