The city authorities of Tübingen are considering imposing special fees on Deutsche Telekom for occupying the roadside strip with non-functional phone booths. After the last public payphones were deactivated in January 2023, the process of their physical removal has significantly dragged on. The city's mayor criticizes the corporation for treating public space like a waste dump and demands the immediate removal of infrastructure that disfigures the city and hinders pedestrian traffic.

Fees for Delay

Authorities in Tübingen plan to introduce new fees for Deutsche Telekom for keeping non-functional phone booths in urban space.

Electronic Waste Problem

Over 12,000 devices deactivated in January 2023 have still not been dismantled, which authorities consider littering the city.

Lack of Schedule

The city accuses the operator of a lack of transparency and not providing specific dates for removing the disfiguring infrastructure from the streets.

German Deutsche Telekom is facing a wave of criticism from local authorities over delays in removing inactive phone booths. Although the last of 12,000 payphones in Germany were deactivated in January 2023, thousands of structures still clutter city streets. This situation prompted the spokesperson for the city of Tübingen to announce plans to introduce a special fee for using public space, intended to force the telecommunications giant to accelerate dismantling work. Phone booths have been an integral part of the landscape since the 19th century; the first public payphone in Germany was installed in Berlin in 1881. Their decline came with the widespread adoption of mobile telephony, leading to a drastic drop in the profitability of these devices.The mayor of Tübingen describes the abandoned structures as "electronic waste" and "trash." City representatives lament that despite repeated inquiries, the company has not provided a specific work schedule. Sondernutzungsgebühr is intended to become a form of economic pressure. The dismantling process is logistically complex and costly, but local officials emphasize they can no longer tolerate the unauthorized occupation of land by non-functional equipment. „A fee for the special use of phone booths is planned due to the lack of deadlines for their removal.” — Spokesperson for the City of TübingenDeutsche Telekom argues that disposing of such a large number of objects requires time and appropriate technical resources. Meanwhile, in many cities, the displays on the payphones still show an out-of-order message, misleading residents. The city has not yet specified the exact amount of the planned fee but warns it will be burdensome for the corporation's budget if immediate action is not taken. The situation in Tübingen could set a precedent for other German municipalities struggling with a similar problem. 12,000 — inactive payphones remain to be dismantled in Germany Status of Phone Booths in Germany: : → ; : → ; : → Liberal media emphasize the ecological aspect of removing electronic waste and support strict financial penalties for sluggish corporations. | Conservative outlets highlight the logistical difficulties of large companies and call for pragmatic agreements instead of new fees.

Mentioned People

  • Boris Palmer — Mayor of Tübingen (Rathauschef), who sharply criticizes Deutsche Telekom for delays in removing infrastructure.