The Slow Disappearance of Public Telephone Booths Across India

The number of public telephone booths in India has drastically decreased, with 44,922 PCOs shutting down in the last three years due to mobile technology adoption. Currently, around 17,000 remain, predominantly in urban areas. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala lead with the most functioning booths.

The decline of public telephone booths, also known as PCOs, in India continues as 44,922 have shut down in the past three years, according to recent data shared in Parliament. Today, roughly 17,000 of these facilities remain operational, with a significant concentration in urban regions.

Minister of State for Communications, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, outlined the primary factors behind this drastic reduction, including the country's widespread adoption of mobile technology, increased tele-density, and the affordability of mobile tariffs. These advancements have rendered many public call offices obsolete.

Data highlights indicate Maharashtra as the state with the highest PCO count at 4,314 in urban locales. Other states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala follow suit. Yet, numerous regions across India are seeing few if any remaining PCOs, marking an end of an era for public telephone communication.

(With inputs from agencies.)