pay phone story

Payphone Story – Global History of Payphones and Phone Booths

Polish Payphone- Urmet TPE-97/U Silver

The Urmet TSP-91, introduced in Poland in 1991, became an iconic blue payphone of the 1990s. Made in Italy, it used prepaid magnetic-stripe cards and sophisticated electronic monitoring. Despite widespread fraud and vandalism, the system proved successful. Most were withdrawn in 2004, with the last operating until 2005.

Name	Urmet TPE-97/U Silver
Date	1991
Manufacturer	Urmet (Italy)
Credit	For information and images on Polish payphones, special thanks to our friends at https://telesfor.org/

Urmet TPE-97/U Silver Polish Payphone

The Urmet TPE-97/U, commonly known as the “silver” Urmet, represented the next generation of Polish card payphones. Following a 1997 tender, installation began in 1998, and the model remained in service for approximately 16 years, with the last machines withdrawn around 2014.

The TPE-97 was introduced primarily for the new SLE4436 chip telephone cards, although it retained compatibility with older magnetic-stripe cards until these were discontinued in July 2006. Credit-card operation was technically possible but never implemented.

Its heavy, corrosion-resistant metal housing provided excellent protection against weather and vandalism. Internally, however, the TPE-97 was considerably more advanced than the earlier blue TSP-91. Surface-mount electronics, flash memory and an improved processor allowed greater reliability and easier maintenance. Software could even be updated remotely through the STG97 monitoring centre using encrypted communications over a 2400-bps modem.

The redesigned card reader was simpler and more reliable than the elaborate mechanism of the earlier magnetic-card Urmet. Improved electronics and security also made telephone fraud considerably more difficult, although enthusiasts eventually developed service-card emulators, hardware modifications and even alternative software.

Installed in distinctive blue-and-white acoustic hoods and other public locations throughout Poland, the silver TPE-97 became one of the country’s characteristic payphones of the late 1990s and 2000s.