BT wants to replace some of its telephone kiosks in Watford with modern 'street hubs' that are capable of making calls and giving out free wi-fi.
The telecommunication giants want to roll out at least five of the digital displays after submitting plans to Watford Borough Council.
BT says the hubs offer a range of benefits and services including free 'ultrafast' wi-fi, USB ports for "rapidly" charging mobile phones, and a touch screen tablet providing local information and maps.
The hubs also make it possible to call anyone in the UK for free on mobile or landline and there is also a dedicated 999 button.
With two digital displays on each side of the hub, BT says it provides opportunities for advertising for local businesses as well as 876 hours of free advertising per year for councils.
The locations identified by BT in Watford for its street hubs are two in the High Street - one near Watford Market and another near King Street - along with one outside Watford Junction railway station, and two in seperate locations in St Albans Road in North Watford.
If the plans are granted by the council, existing BT telephone kiosks would be removed.
BT says of its street hubs: "Street Hubs offer local residents, shoppers, businesses and authorities a sleek modern answer to the demands of a rapidly changing community landscape, making streets smarter, safer and more sustainable."
The company says the hubs connect communities to the "fastest and most robust free public Wi-Fi service in the UK", to those within 150 metres of it.
BT adds the hubs can handle a large number of connected users without any reduction in speed.
To make use of the free wi-fi, users must sign up via email. Once a person has signed-up, connections will be automatic whenever a user is in range of an active street hub.
Watford does already benefit from free wi-fi in the town centre after the council linked up with intechnologywifi to rollout the service. Visit http://www.watfordfreewifi.com/ for more
To view the applications in more detail, visit the council's planning portal and search for 'BT'.
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