WORCESTER, Vt. (WCAX) – “What’s old is new again,” goes the saying. That includes public phones, which are making a comeback in some rural areas of the state that continue to have poor cell service.
Even in 2025, it can be a struggle to make calls around our region.
“Sometimes there’s no network,” said Narinder Budwal of Worcester.
“We don’t have cell phones, so I don’t pay attention to it,” said Clarence Dailey of Calais.
“There’s no cell service here,” said Roger Strobridge, a Worcester selectboard member. He says he worries about emergencies, including people stuck with no service, especially in the winter. “It can be a little sketchy.”
That’s why local officials have dialed in a solution — install an old-school public phone outside of town hall. “I personally look at this pay phone that’s being installed as our answer to cell service and cell towers. That’s the way we feel about it,” Strobridge said.
You might call Patrick Schlott “Pa Bell.” The engineer and native Vermonter last year started the Randolph Public Telephone Operating Company, or RandTel, a cooperative with the goal of providing free-to-use public telephones. Worcester is his seventh. The idea, he says, should ring true for everyone. “It’s just for anyone who needs to make a phone call,” he said.
It’s a labor of love. The idea came after he was working on old phone equipment at his house. He installed the first phone last year and quickly realized he had a new calling. “It’s partly an enthusiasm for old technology and partly a way to give back to the community,” Schlott said. He says the phones are in public spaces like libraries and schools. “They are going to common spaces for communities, spaces that are helpful.”
For now‚ it’s just a hobby. Schlott says the installation and upkeep costs are minimal, and most of the vintage equipment is donated and easy to get up and running. The phones are wired to run on free public Wi-Fi. That’s why they’re free to use. No coins needed.
And with a dial tone, Worcester’s new phone is up and working. For users who need directory assistance, each phone comes with a list of local contacts. If you dial zero, you get the operator. That’d be Schlott.
Reporter Ike Bendavid: Is your goal to be everywhere?
Patrick Schlott: That’s a great question. I kind of like the idea of saying, Hey, one in every… One in each of the 14 counties in Vermont would be a good goal. I want to be in enough places to say, ‘You’re never too far from a RandTel phone,’ would be my goal.
It’s a call back to the future.
