Spark abandons plan to modernise New Zealand public phone booths
Spark has abandoned its nationwide plan to modernise public phone booths with digital advertising screens, free Wi-Fi, and phone charging hubs after failing to secure required local agreements in Auckland, 1News reported.
The telecommunications company intended to fund the $50 million nationwide upgrade through commercial advertising panels rather than charging users or seeking public money. However, Spark chief corporate affairs officer Leela Ashford stated that the project became commercially unviable after the company could not finalize arrangements in the country’s largest city. Ashford acknowledged that booths serve as an important lifeline for vulnerable people who lack reliable mobile or internet access.
Auckland Council general counsel Meredith Webb responded that the council made no decision to stop or block the proposal. Webb stated that while staff engaged with Spark on the initiative—which involved placing commercial billboards on public footpaths—no formal application was ever submitted to Auckland Transport or the council. According to Webb, an application was necessary because digital billboards fall outside standard infrastructure permitted under the Telecommunications Act for road corridors.
Spark countered that a formal application was withheld because terms discussed with the council required sharing advertising revenue with both the local authority and an external outdoor advertising agency. The telco determined that splitting revenue three ways made the project financially impractical. Spark sought legislative exemptions from the Government to bypass local rules regarding digital screens.
Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith told 1News that the Government was not in a position to enact a legislative fix for the advertising billboards. Goldsmith noted that the decline of public payphones aligns with broader technology trends, observing that most people now carry personal mobile devices.
The Decline of the Payphone Network
New Zealand’s public telephone infrastructure has contracted sharply. At its peak, the network comprised 2,500 booths nationwide, a footprint reflected in archival images of old-school Telecom payphones in central Auckland dating back to 2004.
Today, only 212 booths remain active across the country. Data from Spark shows that fixed-line call volumes dropped by nearly 70% between 2018 and 2022, with 90% of remaining booths utilized for less than three minutes per day on average.
Parallel to the cancelled modernization scheme, the broader payphone network is being phased out as Chorus retires its copper telecommunications network. Approximately 90% of booths have already been disconnected, and Spark has stopped selling or reordering phone card stock.
Remaining Booths Will Be Removed by 2028
With modernization talks stalled and copper infrastructure retiring, the physical extraction of the remaining booths is scheduled to take place across 2027 and 2028. While Spark stated it remains open to revisiting a modernization proposal if circumstances change, Auckland Council indicated that the door remains open for further discussions should the company choose to submit a formal application under standard public space approval processes.