This is all good, hack the planet and all that, but meanwhile there are Link NYC boxes with free calls all over NYC no? (debatable quality etc but still, they're there)
However those are well-documented to be data-harvesting devices placed by a for-profit company, despite receiving government money as well. PhilTel is a non-profit volunteer organization run by community members.
What data are they harvesting?
The gas station near my house still runs a COCOT. I don't know what to tell you.