| Name | TTC-3 IC Card Public Telephone |
| Date | 1990s |
| Manufacturer | manufactured by Tongya Telephone Co., Ltd. for the Directorate General of Telecommunications (DGT) |
Development of the Taiwan TTC-3 IC Card Public Telephone
The TTC-3 IC Card Public Telephone (TTC-3 IC卡式公用電話機) was an improved generation of Taiwan’s IC card payphones, introduced during the mid-to-late 1990s as Chung Hwa Telecom expanded its nationwide smart card telephone network. Manufactured by Tongya Telephone Co., Ltd., the TTC-3 refined the earlier TTC-1 with a more modern moulded cabinet, improved electronics and a simplified user interface while retaining compatibility with Taiwan’s IC telephone cards.
The payphone featured a large LCD display, DTMF keypad, programmable function buttons, speed dial, automatic redial, bilingual operation and support for domestic and international direct-dialling. Its durable weather-resistant housing was designed for installation in railway stations, universities, public buildings and streets throughout Taiwan. The integrated card reader eliminated the need for coins, reducing maintenance and vandalism while allowing users to purchase and recharge prepaid IC cards.
Compared with the angular TTC-1, the TTC-3 adopted softer styling and a more contemporary appearance, reflecting international industrial design trends of the 1990s. Later versions appeared in several colour schemes, including turquoise, red and white, as the model evolved under Chung Hwa Telecom.
Although technologically comparable with European and Japanese smart card payphones, there is little evidence that the TTC-3 was exported in significant numbers. It appears to have been developed primarily for Taiwan’s domestic telecommunications network, where it remained widely used until mobile phones largely displaced public payphones in the 2000s.
Below- similar model (not sure of name)
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