Pay phones to disappear as disuse persists
As cell phones increase in popularity, the University will feel an effect in the form of decreased pay phone services.
BellSouth, the campus pay phone provider, will discontinue its national pay phone service Dec. 31, 2003.
This means the University either will have a different company providing pay phone services, or it will evaluate other options such as installing house phones in lieu of pay phones.
The Louisiana State Office of Telecommunications contracted with BellSouth about three years ago to provide pay phone services.
However, the contract expired last fall, and the state is negotiating pay phone services on a month-to-month basis.
“It is not profitable for them anymore,” said Ric Simmons, Office of Telecommunications associate director. “Cell phones have taken their business away.”
Simmons said within a year, the state may consider putting out bids to pay phone companies for a contract.
However, it is difficult to determine if any company will bid on the contract, he said.
“It takes a lot of money to operate a pay phone service,” he said. “Pay phones break and get abused; they are expensive.”
However, several students said they are uncomfortable with an absence of pay phones on campus.
“They’re being prejudiced against people who don’t have cell phones,” said Alex Garibaldi, a secondary education freshman. “Cell phones are the spawn of Satan. They interrupt my class time.”
Menthia Clark, a graduate student in education leadership, said students should have the option to use pay phones on campus for safety concerns.
“A lot of times, cell phones don’t work on all areas of campus,” she said.
Capt. Mark Shaw said LSUPD has plans to address students’ safety concerns.
“We’ve made some initial inquiries, but there is an issue of where will the money come from because it is not part of the standard operating budget,” he said.
Shaw said plans such as #578 for mobile phones, a Student Government initiative allowing students to use their cell phone to dial LSUPD directly, and additional emergency yellow phones would help compensate for a lack of pay phones.
Related to the increase in cell phone subscribers, BellSouth has designated 25 of the approximately 100 campus pay phones “unprofitable.”
An unprofitable phone is one not being used enough to justify keeping it in operation.
This means the building or department that contains the phone either will pay $60 to $100 each month to continue service, or it will pay no fee and discontinue service.
University officials must decide how to deal with the unprofitable phones by the end of April.
Areas on campus with unprofitable phones include the Student Health Center, Hatcher Hall and the Law School.
“The only problem I see is a convenience issue,” Simmons said. “Students may have to walk farther to use a phone.”
Some students said they agreed with the discontinuation of unprofitable pay phones.
“They might as well not keep them if people aren’t using them,” said Marie Henderson, a psychology senior.
However, some students did not agree with individual departments bearing the financial responsibility of the pay phones.
“It’s a public convenience, and it’s supposed to serve the public,” said Steve Seetahal, an economics and mathematics senior. “Why make the building pay when it’s supposed to serve everyone?”