ITWire

Writing on the company's blog, CEO, Rolf Hansen, said: "We've heard a lot of great feedback since we launched amaysim Unlimited back in June last year. We've also heard loud and clear through Facebook, Twitter and our Aussie call centre that 13 and 18 numbers are now the norm and should be included in amaysim Unlimited.

"We've worked our bums off behind the scenes to figure out how to do this without raising our price for unlimited and I'm proud to say we've cracked it! Calls made to 13 and 18 numbers within Australia are now included as part of amaysim Unlimited...Despite the draconian numbering plan which drives up the cost of 13 and 18 calls (which the Australian Communications and Media Authority plans to look into), you won't have to wear extra charges for calling them."

amaysim is not alone in removing the differential charges to these numbers, but such offerings are rare. Red Bull launched a prepaid service last November that charged calls to 1800 and 13 numbers at the same rate as calls to standard numbers.

Costs to call these numbers from mobiles can be in excess of $1 per minute and ACCAN has conducted a long-running campaign to get the costs reduced, it has started to get results.

In October 2011 the ACMA released a discussion paper setting out its views on future arrangements for call charges to these numbers, saying it intended to make 1800 calls free and 13/1300 calls the same price as calls from a fixed line.