Telstra has announced its plans to make all payphones in Australia free, aiming to help struggling Aussies.
Despite the fact that payphones may seem to have become obsolete, thanks to mobiles. There are still 15,000 Telstra payphones in Australia.
Last year Australia made 11 million calls from payphones, including more than 230,000 calls to vital services like Triple Zero.
Chief executive officer of Telstra. Andrew Penn said in a statement via Telstra: “Since mobiles became nearly universal, a lot of Australians might not give them much thought. Until there’s a natural disaster. Until you’re in vulnerable circumstances, homeless or fleeing domestic violence.
“That’s why I decided it’s time to make payphones free. Because even in the age of the smartphone they play such a critical role in our community, particularly in times of need, and particularly for those in need.
“I know payphones are also a lifeline for thousands of vulnerable Australians – the homeless, the isolated, those escaping domestic violence – and often provide their only link to critical support services and those that care about them.”
The Guardian, reported that Major Brendan Nottle of the Salvation Army, said: “The reality is this piece of infrastructure is absolutely critical because a lot of Australians either don’t have a mobile phone, lose it or the phone’s charger, or simply run out of credit.”
The goodwill gesture seems aimed at protecting the vulnerable and naturally, Twitter has weighed in.
https://twitter.com/David_S_Dowling/status/1422368475184467981
https://twitter.com/gerrygaffney/status/1422330540170960898
What’s the fine print? There’s always a catch with Telstra, a customer-service-free-zone if ever there was one.
— Peter Klages (@PeterKlages) August 2, 2021
https://twitter.com/rat_enjoyer/status/1422331672356290562
Comedian Sammy J, even took to Instagram to celebrate the news.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSFcj7_hPL1/
Only time will tell if Payphones increase in popularity now they are free.
