New Ofcom rules to protect phone boxes in Northern Ireland
At least 90 phone boxes in Northern Ireland are expected to be protected from closure under new Ofcom rules.It's one of a number of new criteria being used to assess the long-term viability of phone boxes across the UK.
Under Ofcom's new rules, a phone box will be protected from closure if it fits one of the following criteria:It is located in an area with many accidents or suicidesIt is otherwise providing a vital service, such as being used to make calls to Childline or the Samaritans A BT spokeswoman said it was reviewing "the specific changes and any impact this will have on the payphone service we offer"."BT takes its regulatory obligations seriously in providing a public payphone service and will adhere to Ofcom's new guidelines around the removal of any phone boxes," she added.