What year did British Telecom discontinue the old circular dial on the front telephones.?

Question

You know the ones I mean, They came in various coulours red,green,cream,black. And had a circular dial on the front instead on push buttons.

Please read the question!!!!!!! I am not asking Why did they discontinue them I am asking if anyone knows what year they were discontinued.

Answer 1

The last standard dial phone I remember was the old 706 which was an inheritance of BT's from Post Office Telephones if memory serves. Dial phones were on their way out from the 70's onwards but there were still plenty of them in the early 1980s and I believe it was about 84 or 85 when the stocks ran out. I know I saw some working as late as 89. I believe BT have replaced the majority as they wore out but a lady came in to our place last year requiring a new phone that we couldn't supply her because her wall socket was still a hard-wired GPO type and hadn't been modernised or even looked at since 1972!
I worked for what remained of Post Office Telephones (looking after our own switches, line and plant) which was then a division of RoMec from 97 until we were finally outsourced to Siemens in 2001. We had a couple of these in the back covered with dust, so I re-wired them to fit in the click socket. One still worked, so I gave it to my Mother as a novelty. She's using it in her bedroom extension still.

Answer 2

Once the push button 'phones such as the Viscount and Statesman appeared, the dial 'phone was obsolescent.
But they did not stop at a fixed date and the standard dial 'phone (tele 706?) was named ' The Yeoman' given its length of service and these were issued until stocks were exhausted.
They still work you know!

Answer 3

I don't know the precise answer but wikipedia says rotary dials were phased out from the 70's onwards. Since it's BT we are talking about that probably means from about the 90's. It's hard to say anybody work for BT or know some history?

Answer 4

cos to dial 999 it would take you almost a minute, enough time for someone to die or be saved from a fire.plus push buttons are quicker and simple to use plus it easy to dial a wrong number on them prehistoric dial phones.

Answer 5

imagine dialling emergency services on those things! you pushed the wheel round then had to wait for it to spin back before you could dial another number....nine would have been one of the last numbers on the dial right? dialling 999 could take forever!

----> this is only a guess but its a valid suggestion.