Town centre wi-fi on the way in payphone revamp

The innovative units — called InLinks — also feature touchscreen access to the phone book, maps and council services.

BT has been given the go-ahead to install three — replacing phones on College Street, Howard Street and Upper Millgate.

A spokesman said: “At no cost to taxpayers or end users, InLinks provide an unprecedented suite of essential urban tools, including free ultrafast wifi, phonecalls, device-charging, an emergency 999 call button and a platform for interactive technologies on the streets such as air quality monitoring.”

The 9.5ft units take up less space than payphones and feature hearing induction loops, braille and Talkback for users with disabilities.

The screens automatically dim at night and are fronted by tempered glass designed to hold up to vandalism.