UK’s Global inks 10-yr deal with BT, set to turn legacy payphones into digital units

British multinational telecom company BT and UK’s media and entertainment group Global have established a 10-year partnership to upgrade the nation’s legacy payphones and roll out more digital hubs for local communities – in a move that will provide better connectivity and hyper-local advertising in more than 200 towns and cities across the UK.

A report posted on Global’s website states that the media major will also continue to represent BT’s street furniture advertising sales for the next decade. BT Group’s street furniture estate covers traditional payphones, ATMs and Street Hubs: digital units that provide public Wi-Fi, and live communication at a local level – with some also extending EE’s mobile network capability to provide 4G and 5G connectivity.

The new agreement will see Global convert up to 2,000 conventional BT payphones and kiosks into brand new Street Hubs over a 10-year period from 2025, as well as marketing and selling advertising on BT’s 959 existing Street Hubs. BT will continue to provide mobile and WiFi connectivity to the units.