Telstra makes payphones free over Christmas to connect family and friends

At a time when connecting with our families and friends is perhaps most important, it’s also a time to think about those who are less fortunate, or perhaps choose to remain distant for whatever reason. For this reason, Telstra has continued it’s annual commitment to making free calls available to anyone via a Telstra Payphone.

Between December 24 and January 1 those who need to can make free calls to any local, national or standard mobile number, even sms, to anywhere in Australia.

This might be a long overdue checkin to let your family know you’re ok, or to call a mate from whom you’ve been out of touch.

Those without access to regular mobile or home phone services might not be willing to pay for calls at normal times, so making them free will open up the opportunity.

This applies to the over 15,000 payphones around australia, on which 11 million calls are still made each year.

Staggeringly, 200,000 of those calls are to Triple-Zero services.

Those 15,000 payphones are a lifeline and connection for those vulnerable such as the homeless, or those escaping an unsafe family situation.

Last year, this same initiative saw half a million calls placed, as well as gigabytes of data used as the Telstra Air WiFi network also opens up free during the same time.

Get in touch with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, it could be the smile they need.