| Name | GTE payphones- GTE payphones were primarily manufactured by Automatic Electric, a company owned by GTE |
| Date | 1970s- 80s |
| Manufacturer | General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (GTE) |
Below- GTE R-TEL Charge Phone
GTE charge publc telephone made by R-TEL. Would have been used in jails and any other public location.
Development of the GTE payphone
| GTE payphones were operated by General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (GTE), the largest independent telephone company in the United States outside the Bell System. In its service territories across parts of Texas, California, Florida, the Midwest and Northeast, GTE installed and maintained its own public pay telephone network. Unlike Bell companies, which used Western Electric equipment, GTE payphones were primarily manufactured by Automatic Electric, a company owned by GTE. Because of this, GTE payphones often differ internally and cosmetically from Western Electric models, making them particularly interesting to collectors. One of the most common GTE payphones was the Automatic Electric Model 120 “Fortress” series, produced from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s. These were rugged, single-slot coin payphones designed for heavy public use. They accepted nickels, dimes and quarters through a wide single coin slot and featured a coin return button. The heavy cast metal housing was designed to resist vandalism, similar in concept to Western Electric’s fortress designs but mechanically distinct. Earlier GTE payphones often used rotary dials, while later versions were equipped with Touch-Tone keypads as dual-tone multi-frequency signaling became standard. Many were installed in outdoor booths, shopping centers, gas stations, airports and street locations throughout GTE service areas. Following telecom deregulation and industry restructuring in the 1980s and 1990s, GTE’s manufacturing assets were reorganized and eventually absorbed into other telecommunications companies. In 2000, GTE merged with Bell Atlantic to form Verizon. Today, GTE and Automatic Electric payphones are sought after by collectors due to their non-Bell heritage, distinctive design features, and role in the history of independent American telecommunications. |
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