Australians have made nearly 120 million free calls since Telstra dropped fees on public payphones five years ago. Usage has tripled, with over 25 million calls in the past year alone—including 280,000 to Triple Zero and crisis support lines.
Telstra’s network features 14,000 payphones nationwide, with 5,000 offering free Wi-Fi and over 1,000 fitted with extended battery backup for disaster resilience.
Telstra Foundation CEO Jacquie Coats says the demand speaks for itself:
“Even in a world full of smartphones, people still turn to a payphone when it truly counts. In the five years since we’ve made calls free, we’ve seen a big increase in call volumes, so we know they’re still relevant.”
To find your nearest payphone, use the Payphone Finder on Telstra.com or Google Maps.