Rabbit

Forgotten Technology · 1992

Published

Rabbit was a UK public Telepoint service operated by Hutchison Personal Communications Ltd, using CT2/CAI digital cordless technology rather than a conventional cellular network. It began operating in Greater Manchester on 21 May 1992, allowing subscribers to use a handset at home and make outgoing calls at signed public access points; they were not ordinarily reachable while away from home. The public service closed on 31 December 1993.

Why It Mattered

Rabbit represented a brief British attempt to bridge the gap between the cordless phone at home, the payphone and the mobile handset. Its inability to receive ordinary calls through public access points limited its usefulness as cellular services became more competitive, but it remains a distinctive stage in the development of personal telecommunications in Britain.

How Telepoint Worked

- Subscribers used the handset with a CT2 home base station as a domestic cordless telephone. - Away from home, calls could be placed within range of signed Rabbit public access points. - Public use was ordinarily outgoing-only; pager and voice-messaging workarounds were reported.

Roll-out and the Wider Experiment

- Rabbit expanded through the Granada Television area from 9 July 1992 and began nationwide service in October 1992. - Oftel recorded about 12,000 base stations at the start of nationwide service. - It was the final active operator in the UK's four-service Telepoint experiment, alongside Phonepoint, Zonephone and Mercury Callpoint.

Closure and Surviving Equipment

- Hutchison Whampoa announced Rabbit’s closure on 5 November 1993; public service ended on 31 December 1993. - Oftel subsequently reported that no public Telepoint service remained in operation in the UK. - The Science Museum Group holds Rabbit set object 2005-107, comprising a handset, park-and-charge unit, home base station, documentation and carrying case.

Associated With

Hutchison Personal Communications Ltd - inventor, developer or manufacturer

Defining Feature

CT2/CAI digital cordless service with home base stations and signed public access points

Status

Closed - Public service closed 31 December 1993

Primary Records

- **Oftel annual report 1992** · Archived copy - **Oftel annual report 1993** - **Science Museum Group: Rabbit mobile telepoint telephone, 1993, object 2005-107** - **Science Museum Group: CT2 Telepoint development test equipment**

Image Sources

- **Image 1** - **Image 2** - **Image 3** - **Image 4** - **Image 5**

Rights Notice

Images are included for historical and archival reference. Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.

Gallery

Black-and-white Rumbelows newspaper advertisement for the Rabbit cordless digital phone, showing a handset in a charging cradle beside a ribbed base unit and a small inset photograph of a person holding the handset. Large text advertises a price of £199.99 and a free extra handset.
Source
Credit

ianVisits

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

Rumbelows advertised Rabbit as an “ultimate cordless digital phone”, showing how the service was explained through familiar retail language.

Studio photograph on a pale background of a blue Rabbit-branded hard carrying case, a dark cordless handset, a ribbed base unit with an upright antenna, two user guides, a black leather case, a white drawstring bag and small Rabbit-branded papers.
Source
Credit

Science Museum Group Collection

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

The handset, base, guides and carry case show Rabbit as a kit to buy and learn, rather than simply a telephone number to subscribe to.

Photograph of a square Rabbit sign with a blue stylized rabbit logo and the word “Rabbit,” mounted indoors above a sign showing a crossed-out telephone handset symbol.
Source
Credit

Hertfordshire Mercury

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

A Rabbit access-point sign marked the places where the handset could connect away from its home base.

Angled view of a white and dark-blue Rabbit cordless telephone handset box, printed with a large blue Rabbit logo, photographs of the handset, and the words "handset for the cordless telephone."
Source
Credit

TV Film Props

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

The retail box presents Rabbit’s handset and cordless system to prospective buyers at the point of sale.

Brown plush rabbit toy seated against a white background, wearing a blue vest with red trim, a patterned white neckerchief, and a small Rabbit logo badge.
Source
Credit

Science Museum Group Collection

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

A plush Rabbit mascot gave the telephone service a softer promotional identity alongside its network equipment.