30th April 2023 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong Telecom has announced the launch of a pilot scheme for smart phone kiosk, aimed at injecting new vitality into traditional phone booths and promoting the development of a smart city in Hong Kong. The first smart phone kiosk is located in Causeway Bay, and the second is expected to be installed in Central in May. The pilot scheme will run from now until September this year.
The smart phone booths provided by Hong Kong Telecom have multiple functions, including a 13.3-inch touchscreen payment phone service that supports a variety of electronic payment methods, including Tap & Go, Octopus, AlipayHK, WeChat Pay, and credit cards. The phone booth also has a 43-inch touchscreen display that provides information on nearby public transportation and facilities, as well as social welfare information provided by non-profit organizations such as medical service information.
In addition to traditional payphone services, the booth also features a scrolling LED screen that displays news and weather information obtained from the government news website and the Hong Kong Observatory. Behind the phone booth, there is a 75-inch LED display screen. Moreover, the phone booth provides free Wi-Fi service and USB charging ports for free charging service.
The design of the smart phone booth was inspired by the winner of a competition co-organized by Hong Kong Telecom and the Vocational Training Council. The smart phone booth is equipped with an application designed by students from the Vocational Training Council for the Hong Kong Christian Service to provide social welfare information to the public.
Hong Kong Telecom will collect public feedback and evaluate the usage of the smart phone booths throughout the pilot scheme.