Verizon Pushes Payphones

Bolstered by the recent power blackout, Verizon is trying to drum up new interest in payphones.

The company this month began airing in Boston what it calls “a series of light-hearted radio and outdoor ads” featuring things young people do that are acceptable (living on nothing but pizza, potato chips, cola and caffeine -- and using 1-800-USE-THE VZ) or unacceptable (using a competitor's service to make collect calls).

Verizon says it has also taken other steps to stimulate payphone usage, making it easy and economical to call overseas by using phones with yellow handsets. At these sites, partner company Phone1 delivers calls to more than 200 countries for 25 cents to $1 for the first minute and $1 for one to 10 additional minutes. The service is targeted to international visitors, immigrants and callers looking for a bargain rate on quick overseas calls. The company maintains more than 330,000 payphones in 38 states.

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