From
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...07/2237599.htm

Telstra has criticised the former federal government over funding delays for
pay phones in remote communities around the Northern Territory.

A national newspaper has reported that a baby died last week after its
family had to walk 10 kilometres from the remote Centralian community of
Blackwater to Pupunya for medical treatment.

The area general manager for Telstra Country Wide says the pay phone at the
community was removed in 2004 after vandalism and funding for a replacement
was only approved by the federal communications department last week.

Mark Sweet says funding for pay phones in Indigenous communities was
announced last year, but is not quickly reaching Telstra.

"Under our universal service obligation, we'll generally provide a payphone
facility to any Indigenous community or community with a population of more
than 50 people.

"Certainly for these smaller communities and the like, the previous federal
government recognised that federal funding was needed to do it.

"Unfortunately, it just hasn't flowed as well as it might."

He says more than half of all remote communities are without pay phones.