| Name | Aluminium booth |
| Date | c.1990 |
| Manufacturer | Matáv and Magyar Telekom |
Hungarian Phone Booth- Matart Domed Telephone Booth, c.1928–1929
These rectangular green and red booths span the Matáv and Magyar Telekom eras, with older structures surviving successive changes of branding. Ordinary street calling ended on Telekom’s network in August 2025, but booth removal remained underway in 2026. There is no verified date when every Hungarian booth was removed. haon.hu
Operators and names, 1990–2026
| Period | Operator or brand | Relationship to the booths |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–1991 | Magyar Távközlési Vállalat, commonly Matáv | The telecommunications successor created by the separation of Magyar Posta’s activities inherited the former postal telephone network. |
| 1992–2005 | Magyar Távközlési Rt. — Matáv | The company became a joint-stock corporation on 31 December 1991. Privatisation began in 1993 through MagyarCom, a consortium of Deutsche Telekom and Ameritech. Deutsche Telekom became the controlling shareholder. |
| 2005–2008 | Magyar Telekom, with T-Com fixed-line branding | Matáv changed its name on 6 May 2005. The “T” identity on later booths belongs to this corporate succession. |
| 2008–2013 | Magyar Telekom, with T-Home fixed-line branding | T-Home replaced T-Com in September 2008. This was a brand change within the same corporate group. |
| 2013–2026 | Telekom / Magyar Telekom Nyrt. | Consumer branding was consolidated under Telekom in 2013. The company subsequently converted its street phones to emergency-only service and progressively replaced booths with emergency-call pillars. |
The company’s history and branding announcements establish this sequence; they do not imply that every booth was repainted or replaced immediately. telekom.hu
For your photographs, the visible “T” logo identifies the red double booth with the Magyar Telekom period. Green paint alone cannot establish its operator or date: an inherited booth could remain in service under a later company.
Hungary also had regional operators. By 2025–2026, designated providers of public emergency-call facilities included Magyar Telekom, DIGI, One Magyarország and TARR. Consequently, Telekom’s withdrawal dates should not automatically be applied to every operator’s equipment. telex.hu
When did calling and booth removal end?
The transition occurred in separate stages:
- 2025: requirements were relaxed to allow emergency-only equipment and fewer public stations.
- 1 August 2025: Telekom’s former public telephones became free emergency-call devices, ending ordinary coin and card calls.
- Late 2025–2026: redundant booths were dismantled; retained locations increasingly received pillars with a button connecting directly to 112. Replacement was still progressing in July 2026. Blikk
Telekom said most dismantled booths were sent for recycling, although individual examples could be donated or sold for reuse. Blikk
Which types would survive for heritage reasons?
I found no confirmed national policy guaranteeing preservation of an entire booth type. Earlier conservation efforts particularly concerned historic MaTaRt booths; this does not establish blanket protection for every yellow-and-green example. Budapest Folyóirat
For a representative heritage collection, I would prioritise:
- Early MaTaRt booths and surviving decorative examples.
- Standard yellow-and-green Posta booths.
- Rare modernist prototypes and plastic shelters.
- At least one green and one red rectangular Matáv/Telekom booth, preserving their signs and telephone equipment.
That last group documents privatisation and changing operator identities. Its historical value supports museum preservation, but confirmed retention must be established for individual booths.
Below- the domed roof model
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