Telstra is making pay phones and its public WiFi free until New Years Day

Telstra will be spreading a bit of extra Christmas cheer this year, with free calls and free Wi-Fi access over the festive period.

From December 24 until January 1, anyone will be able to make free standard national and mobile calls through Telstra payphones and access free WiFi at select Telstra Air hotspots. This does exclude international calls, 13 numbers, and premium directory services, however.

Telstra says almost half a million calls were placed when it made its payphones free last year, representing about 1.2 million minutes of conversation. 

Given COVID-19, Telstra is advising anyone using its payphones to make a call wash their hands before and after use. 

"We know this year has been hard because of lockdown and closed borders, and at Christmas, feelings of isolation and loneliness can peak," said Telstra Foundation Head Jackie Coates. 

"It’s important that we help in any way we can so that people can have a vital feeling of connection and hope at this time of year. "

"If you’re out and about during the Christmas to New Year period and you spot one of our payphones – even if you don’t need a free call – then make sure to get in touch with your loved ones when you can."

Over 15,000 Telstra payphones are still in operation across Australia. Many of these have been repurposed as public WiFi hotspots for the Telstra Air network.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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