| The coin box telephone, automatic telephone, telephone of common usage, phone booth, old coin automatic telephones are phone means of general use. Payment is done by coins, tokens and/or with the help of special telephonic debit cards or general credit cards.
Telephones of local communication (city, village) and international communication were used in the Soviet Union.
At present, mobile phones are replacing coin box telephones more and more.
Coin boxes are generally installed in public places, for example in transportation nodes (railway stations, airports) and at cross roads of populated streets. Coin box telephones are placed in closed boxes (telephone booths), semi closed boxes or simply under a shelter. In some countries (like in Switzerland) there are separate telephone booths for smoking and non-smoking people.
Many modern telephones also have additional functions, for example functions for sending electronic letters and/or SMS messages. A separate terminal located near the telephonic instrument also may have these functions.
Many of the modern coin box phones work on prepaid cards (Telephone card). In some countries, coin box telephones accept credit cards also.
There are coin box telephones with rotary accumulators, which are capable of issuing the change.
Emergency calls (fire safety, police etc.) are free of cost.
The red color telephone booths of the traditional design are one of the symbols of London.
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