pay phone story

Payphone Story – Global History of Payphones and Phone Booths

New Zealand phonebooth- KX100 Kiosk

Introduced in the early 2000s, the KX100 became New Zealand’s standard public telephone kiosk. Designed by DCA Design International and manufactured by GKN Sankey in Telford, England, it was exported to New Zealand in kit form. Housing Swiss-built Ascom payphones, many later provided free Wi-Fi and remain in service today.

Name	KX100 Kiosk
Date	late 1980s
Manufacturer	Telecom NZ
Links	KX as used in the UK

NZ Payphonebooth- KX100 Kiosk

The KX100 kiosk became the final major generation of public telephone booth used throughout New Zealand. Based on the highly successful British Telecom KX100 design introduced in 1985, it was designed by DCA Design International and manufactured by GKN Sankey at the Hadley Castle Works, Telford, Shropshire, England. Unlike earlier New Zealand kiosks, which were largely built locally, the KX100s supplied to Telecom New Zealand were manufactured in Britain and exported as knock-down kits, where they were assembled and installed throughout the country.

Introduced during the early 2000s, the kiosks replaced many older Telecom enclosures while housing the new Swiss-built Ascom electronic payphones. Their lightweight modular construction of stainless steel, aluminium extrusions and toughened safety glass made them considerably easier to transport, erect and maintain than previous steel or concrete kiosks. The open-fronted design provided excellent visibility, improved lighting and greater accessibility, while also reducing vandalism and maintenance costs.

Initially finished in Telecom New Zealand blue and white branding, many kiosks were later rebranded in the distinctive Spark magenta livery following the company’s name change in 2014. The Ascom payphones installed within the kiosks accepted coins, phonecards, credit cards and later debit cards before eventually transitioning to free local calling. Many kiosks were subsequently upgraded to provide free public Wi-Fi, extending their role beyond traditional telephony.

The KX100 proved exceptionally durable and adaptable, remaining the standard New Zealand public telephone kiosk for more than two decades. Although many have now been removed as mobile phone use has reduced demand for public telephones, a significant number remain in service, particularly in rural communities and transport hubs. As the last widely deployed telephone kiosk in New Zealand, the KX100 represents the final chapter in the country’s long history of purpose-built public telephone enclosures and demonstrates the continuing influence of British engineering on New Zealand’s telecommunications infrastructure.