Telstra has announced that it would be sharply reducing the rates for calls placed from its 15,500 public payphones across the country.
In a statement, the company said 13 million calls were placed from these phones last year, with 200,000 being to the emergency number triple zero.
It said distance-based pricing for national calls would be replaced by a flat rate of $0.50 for a call made to a standard fixed line.
Any call made to an Australian mobile number would be charged $0.50 for 10 minutes; the old rate was $0.50 for 35 seconds.
Eleven international destinations would also cost $0.50 per 10-minute call and calls to another 60 countries would be reduced. (
Details)

Telstra had also made it possible to receive incoming calls at payphones, the statement said.
Pete Manwaring, TON product Principal - Media, Product and Technology, said: "Over time, some of our new payphones will provide a number of additional services, designed to support Australia’s public communication needs for the next 20 to 30 years.
"Future payphones could contain a range of features including digital screens, Wi-Fi, 5G enabled technology, mobile device charging, as well as providing a space for communicating everything from emergency alerts to a range of content services such as public transport information to city maps, weather, tourist advice, information on nearby cultural attractions and the ability to promote the work of charitable organisations."
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