No cell service? This retro solution is helping rural areas of Vermont

WORCESTER, Vt. (InvestigateTV) – In rural Vermont, where cell service can be nonexistent, residents are finding an unexpected solution to communication challenges: old-school pay phones.

Patrick Schlott, an electrical engineer and native of Vermont, has begun installing modified vintage pay phones in public spaces like libraries and town halls. These phones, part of his “Ran-tel” cooperative—short for the Randolph public telephone operating company—allow users to make free calls anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, with no coins or cards required.

“It’s just for anyone who needs to make a phone call,” Schlott said.

The idea was inspired by similar projects in cities like Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon.

Schlott, who has a passion for old technology, realized he could give back to his community by repurposing the equipment.

The phones are wired to run on free public Wi-Fi, which is why they are free to use.

For residents like Roger Strobridge in Worcester, the phones are a critical safety measure in an area where cell service is unreliable, particularly during harsh winters.

“I personally look at this pay phone that’s being installed as our answer to cell service and cell towers,” Strobridge said.

While the project started as a hobby, Schlott is already expanding, with a goal to have at least one Ran-tel phone in each of Vermont’s 14 counties.

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