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Canada lost almost ten thousand payphones in 2016

The latest report on the communications industry from Canada’s telecom regulator shows payphones are quickly disappearing.

In the 2016 statistics, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) showed just 57,542 payphones remained in Canada, a decline of 9,455 from the 66,997 payphones that existed in 2015. Meanwhile, average revenue per payphone dropped to $385 CAD — which, with the cost of payphone use at 50 cents, equates to about two calls per day. That’s down 6.7 percent from $413 in 2015.

The yearly haul is still a considerable amount for what’s generally seen as a completely outdated service, however. Altogether, payphones brought in a surprising $22.2 million over the past year — though that’s a fraction of the $64 million they pulled in five years ago.

The fact that payphones are going the way of the dodo bird isn’t surprising — the rise of smartphones necessitated that demise. Still, it’s a strange thing to see these relics of the past begin to vanish from sidewalks, subway stations and parking lots across the nation.

Have you used a payphone in the last year? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Nayuki via Flickr

Via: Financial Post

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