| Name | Telstra Smart Payphone SMARTCARD PHONES (MPP=Multi Purpose Payphone) (X1 or X2 as a suffix, some in old case are Z2) Available in indoor (X1) and outdoor (X2) forms. |
| Date | Introduced in 1997 to replace the CT3 payphone. The SS casing was subsequently thickened to be more vandal proof. Still in service widely today as the standard Telstra payphone (card only operation, free Australia phone calls) |
| Manufacturer | First models by Amper, Spain. Maintained now by Telstra. Design lineage as belonging to the broader Amper / Siemens-Elasa / Infopyme family of electronic public telephones Note- this model was also used in Germany and South Africa. Link- Tele-Ruf Smart Payphones in Germany. Link- Used in South Africa |
| Usage | Phone boxes, unsupervised locations. |
| Links | TelstraX2Manual (pdf download) Amper TMI-CB in use in Spain Amper TMI-CB in use in Berlin Amper in use in Russia Amper TMI used in South Africa |
Development of the Telstra Smart Payphone (MPP X1
| X1 Smartcard Payphones (MPP = Multi-Purpose Payphone) The X1 and related X2 Smartcard Payphones formed part of an international family of intelligent public telephones developed during the 1990s by the Spanish telecommunications manufacturer Amper. Contemporary Telstra documentation noted that “these phones are manufactured by a Spanish company called Amper” and that “these phones are made to slightly different specifications for different countries.” The platform was internationally modular, with variants deployed in Australia, Spain, Berlin, South Africa, Croatia, Latin America, Malaysia, China, Singapore and other countries. The Australian versions were introduced by Telstra as “MPP” (Multi-Purpose Payphone) smartcard telephones. Telefónica networks in Spain and Latin America used related versions of the same Amper platform. The units were developed in collaboration with Siemens, which produced the embedded SLE4436E chip used in Telstra disposable phonecards. The phones featured a card-locking mechanism preventing card removal during calls and were available in indoor (X1) and outdoor (X2) forms. Early deployments began in Adelaide before expanding to Perth, Brisbane and Sydney. The payphones included automatic fault reporting similar to the CT3/CP9 series, dialling a central maintenance number when technical problems occurred. However, they lacked a bell or ringer, preventing operators such as “1234” from connecting incoming calls to them. By 1999, Telstra began retrofitting many units after the new phones were “quickly found to be less durable than their predecessors.” Extensive modifications included shiny corrosion-resistant finishes, domed coin heads for security, and replacement of older coin slots and safes with tamper-resistant Kirk safes. Collectors often distinguish early matte-finish units from later reinforced shiny versions. These modifications addressed Australian conditions including heat, UV exposure, rain, vandalism and coin theft. The phones accepted 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 coins, but later became card-only free-call units. Despite early problems, many remained in service for years. From 2019, Telstra progressively enabled incoming calls on many public payphones. In August 2021, local and national calls to Australian fixed lines and mobiles became free, and coin acceptance ended shortly afterwards. Following the rollout of the NBN and the decline of copper-based telephone services, many Smart Payphones were converted to cellular operation. Since 2022, thousands have also been upgraded with free public Wi-Fi capability, ensuring that the Australian payphone continues evolving as a form of public communications infrastructure in the digital age. Below- Central Station Sydney 2026 |
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