| Name | Teléfono público GNT |
| Date | Designed by GNT Automatic A/S, Denmark, and manufactured in Spain under licence by Amper for CTNE (Telefónica). GNT Automatic was closely associated with Ericsson, which had extensive manufacturing and commercial interests in the Spanish telephone industry. c.1970, used by Telefónica de España and exported to Mexico. |
| Manufacturer | Telefónica |
Development of the Teléfono público GNT
| The Spanish GNT public telephone was a widely used coin-operated payphone installed throughout Spain during the 1970s under Telefónica. Often referred to as the GNT-A, it represented the classic electromechanical generation of Spanish public telephones before the arrival of electronic and card-operated systems in the 1980s and 1990s. GNT Automatic and Spain GNT Automatic A/S of Søborg, Denmark developed a significant connection with the Spanish telephone industry during the 1970s. Rather than simply exporting finished payphones, GNT licensed its coin-telephone technology for manufacture in Spain, where Telefónica—then CTNE—was rapidly expanding and modernising its public telephone network. GNT entered into agreements permitting Spanish production of its payphones. Most importantly, Amper, already an important Spanish telecommunications manufacturer and Telefónica supplier, was authorised to manufacture GNT-designed equipment locally. In 1976, an agreement between CTNE and Amper covered production of 7,000 GNT coin telephones, initially identified as model AY2-14512 and subsequently as AY2-14502. These were three-coin public telephones based on GNT technology. The relationship also sat within a wider telecommunications network. GNT Automatic had close corporate links with Ericsson, while Ericsson itself had a major presence in Spain through INTELSA, its joint venture with Telefónica. Amper remained a separate Spanish company, however, and should not be described simply as an Ericsson subsidiary. The Spanish GNT story is therefore best understood as Danish technology adapted and manufactured under licence in Spain, with Amper providing local production for Telefónica. This arrangement helped establish Amper’s later importance as a specialist manufacturer of Spanish public telephones. |
Above- Teléfono público GNT (coin operated)
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