News

Marconi breaks into interactive payphone market in Spain

April 21, 2003

London--Marconi announced that Telefonica Telecomunicaciones Publicas SA, the public payphone division of Telefonica Spain, has placed a "significant" order for the company's Neptune interactive web phones, the same phones that were awarded this month at KioskCom as the best public communications kiosk application.

The agreement, the first commercial deployment of Marconi payphones directly into the Spanish market, follows a pilot program conducted in Madrid during the second half of 2002. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Shipments of the new units, which will be manufactured at Marconi Interactive Systems at Chorley, Lancashire, will begin during the first quarter of 2003.

The Neptune products are interactive, public payphones that allow users to send e-mails and text messages and surf the Internet, as well as make telephone calls. The phones will be installed across Spain in public sites, giving end users access to advanced communications services on a "pay-as-you-use" basis, according to a news release.

"Interactive web phones represent an exciting development for the public payphone industry in Spain," said Jose Aspas, president of Telefonica Telecomunicaciones Publicas. "It will consolidate Telefonica's position to provide the general public with the latest telecommunications developments."

Liam Brown, managing director of Marconi Interactive Systems, said the interactive terminals will help its customers meet three business objectives: bringing in new revenue; providing advanced broadband services to end users; and helping operators comply with the requirement to provide a comprehensive service provision.