{"id":29157,"date":"2021-08-03T12:59:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-03T02:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/?p=29157"},"modified":"2021-08-03T13:02:31","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T03:02:31","slug":"telstra-payphones-across-australia-are-now-free-so-who-are-you-gonna-call-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/home\/telstra-payphones-across-australia-are-now-free-so-who-are-you-gonna-call-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Telstra Payphones Across Australia Are Now Free, So Who Are You Gonna Call First?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What a throwback! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t know about you payphones are an iconic part of calling \u2018Straya home! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are the landmark to turn to get to a mate\u2019s place, the place where you called your Mum as a kid when you missed curfew to let her know you were okay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, now that landmark is free to use with Telstra today announcing that Australian\u2019s will now be able to make calls from their network of 15,000 payphones for free! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How cool is that?! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telstra announced today that every Australian will be able to make a free local or national call to a standard fixed line or a call to an Australian mobile when they need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charges will still apply to international and calls to premium and satellite numbers will still incur a cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 11 million calls were made across Australia from Telstra payphones last year alone, with more than 230,000 being too critical services like \u2018000\u2019 and Lifeline, proving a crucial service for some of the country\u2019s most vulnerable people and communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said the payphones are an iconic \u2013 and critical \u2013 part of the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTelstra payphones are now free phones for everyone to anywhere in Australia. They are an iconic and critical part of our community, and for many Australians, the availability of a payphone is a vital lifeline, especially for those vulnerable including the homeless, people who are isolated or someone escaping an unsafe situation,\u201d Mr Penn said,\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cThat\u2019s why I have taken this decision to make national calls from payphones free, because they play such a critical role in our community, particularly in times of need and for those in need.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Mr Penn said he had been moved personally after seeing firsthand the importance of the iconic payphone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have been moved seeing firsthand queues of people waiting in line, to use a payphone to tell their family and friends they\u2019re safe after a bushfire, a cyclone or some other natural disaster has taken the mobile network down,\u201d he said,

\u201cI can only imagine the relief their families feel knowing their loved one is safe.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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WATCH: Wake up with a laugh and join\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Rabbit & Sarah for Breakfast<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, weekdays, 6am-9am.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n