German Payphone- Münzfernsprecher ÖKartTel Interset 330

The ÖKartTel Siemens Interset 310 was a 1990s German public card payphone using Telekom chipcards. Designed for outdoor use, it featured digital control, DTMF dialling, and remote monitoring via central systems. Built by Siemens, it reduced coin handling and formed the basis for later Interset and BlueInterset payphone models.

NameMünzfernsprecher Kartentelefone ÖKartTel Interset 330
Dateproduced 1988 to the mid 90s
ManufacturerSiemens for Deutsche Telekom

Development of the Münzfernsprecher Kartentelefone ÖKartTel Interset 330

The ÖKartTel Siemens Interset 310 was one of the early standardised chipcard-operated public telephones introduced by Deutsche Telekom during the 1990s, following the nationwide adoption of chipcard technology in the late 1980s. It formed part of the broader ÖKartTel system, which replaced coin-based payphones with cashless, card-driven operation.

Manufactured by Siemens, the Interset 310 was designed as a robust outdoor public telephone, typically installed in street enclosures, transport hubs, and high-traffic public areas. It used Telekom Telefonkarte chipcards, allowing users to prepay for calls without coins, significantly reducing maintenance, vandalism, and cash-handling requirements. Like other ÖKartTel units, it operated within a centralised background system (ÖKOM/REDÖK), enabling remote monitoring, tariff control, and usage tracking.

Technically, the Interset 310 featured a digitally controlled architecture, with modular internal components including a card reader, central control unit, and keypad interface. It used DTMF dialling and required an external power supply, reflecting its move away from line-powered analogue systems. The housing was typically metal and vandal-resistant, designed for long-term outdoor durability.

The Interset 310 became the basis for later developments, including the Interset 320/330 series and the upgraded BlueInterset systems, which introduced ISDN capability and enhanced electronics.

Overall, the Interset 310 represents a key transitional model, bridging early card phone experiments and the fully networked, software-driven public telephony systems of the 2000s. (these were very common)
More info- https://oeffentlichetelefone.de/
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