I think I've heard of at least a few groups dropping free-to-use phone booths in rural areas without much cell service, sans any form of revenue.
replyFutel runs a handful of non-pay payphones in and around NW Oregon, some urban and some rural. There are other regional organizations doing similar things.
replyNYC has something just like this - https://www.link.nyc/home.html
replyHere in Australia our once public phone company, telstra, have converted many phone boxes to be free to use and also provide a small wifi AP.
replyPayphones in Australia have free national calls.
replyTelstra, the formerly state owned incumbent telco is obliged under their universal service obligation to provide a certain number of payphones, but it costs more to collect the coins than the phones earn in revenue.
This is part of the picture. But IIUC Telstra is very keen to keep that "obligation". Why? Because along with it they 1. Are fairly free to decide where to put payphone (eg next time you are in the city, notice sometimes they are slightly impeding pedestrian traffic in the city), and 2. They are allowed to place and sell advertising on the sides which makes bank due to 1.
Despite the above I love that my kid can just dial my number on any payphone, and they like prank calling me, and they have duly memorised my number .
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