Consumers will soon be able to download ringtones, games and music to their phones from new cash machines being rolled out in the UK.
The touch-screen, broadband-enabled Bank Machine Max Box will start appearing in pubs, garages, shopping malls and supermarkets in the spring.US-owned Bank Machine has developed the service with digital retail specialist Felix, but has not yet revealed its content partners or how much it intends to charge for downloads.
Bank Machine already owns and operates 1,400 regular fee-charging ATMs across the country.
Ron Delnevo, managing director of Bank Machine, said: “As the company that founded the UK Independent ATM market, we are in an unrivalled position to work with the Felix Group. Our provision of state-of-the-art ATMs coupled with Felix Group’s digital content, ensures that the offering to customers will be the most relevant and attractive in the market.”
As the BBC points out, fee-charging cash machines (as opposed to those in banks) have courted controversy, with charities and consumer groups arguing that they penalise the poor.
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