Aussies are downloading huge amounts through Telstra payphones and they’re about to get even better

The Telstra payphone network has evolved over the years, moving from a legacy of a bygone era to now almost an integral part of some communities. Telstra has today relesed data on how their payphones are used, as well as their plans for payphones moving forward.

The switch to making free calls on Telstra payphones happened almost three years ago, while their payphones have been supplying data through their Telstra Air hotspots for almost two. Telstra has just released data on the amount of calls and data being used through the sites, and it’s pretty astonishing.

During June, Telstra say users downloading a massive 133.4 terrabytes of data and making 25.8 million calls. This is the equivalent of ‘streaming 5 years of 4k video, over 100 years of TikTok streaming or 125 years of music!’ says Telstra, with 301,000 of the phone calls made going to lifesaving services including ‘000’, Lifeline and 1800Respect.

Telstra has seen the evolution of payphones through the years change, with the free sites affording communities with a point to find and access safety and services or reach loved ones, even in a time of crisis.

Among the use cases, Telstra says that remote Indigenous communities, use free Wi-Fi to stay connected to vital health and government services. There’s also a big use case during natural disasters, with Telstra finding users gathering around payphones for free Wi-Fi during natural disasters that may have affected their services at home. Telstra also sees people in vulnerable circumstances using the services to access safety and support services.

If you though the Telstra payphone network would be phased out, Telstra thinks differently with plans to upgrade 1,000 payphones around the country. The sites will receive a refurb allowing people to charge their devices ‘with built-in USB charging facilities and stay active for longer thanks to better power backups’ says Telstra.

If you think you may want to check out where your nearest payphone is – just in case, there’s a handy Payphone locator tool you can use.