In Japan, public phones have fallen from about 580,000 in 2002 to around 100,000 today. Yet many remain legally maintained for disaster communication, providing a vital connection when mobile networks fail. Now, they are taking on new roles. Tokyo and NTT EAST, Inc. have begun setting them up as OpenRoaming Wi-Fi hubs. The first was installed near Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station, with plans to expand to around 1,500 sites across Tokyo by next fiscal year. What started in Tokyo is now spreading across Japan, as public phones become infrastructure that provides secure, convenient connectivity in everyday life and adds another layer of communication resilience in emergencies.