News

Our organisation has been working closely with the  Fair Calls For All campaign that aims to have calls to 1800, 1300 and 13 numbers charged at a fair price from all phones.

Getting in touch with Centrelink, your bank or a legal, financial or other charity helpline shouldn’t cost a lot. But right now it can cost you up to $1.78 per minute to call 1800 ‘freecall’ and 13/1300 ‘local rate’ numbers from your mobile phone. If you called from a landline, these calls would be free or fixed at 30 cents.

People on low-incomes are more likely to be among to 14% of Australians who only have a mobile phone and have no choice but to pay for a free or local-rate call.[1] People who need to access free or low-cost legal advice will often turn to a 1800, 1300 or 13 number to make contact with a service.

After a year of community calls for action, the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) is proposing to regulate so that 1800 numbers will be free and 13/1300 numbers will cost about 30 cents to call from a mobile phone.

This is good news but there’s still work to do. 

We know that parts of the telco industry are strongly resisting these reforms. It is important to explain why these changes will benefit Australian consumers, charities and businesses.

Tell the ACMA that you want Fair Calls For All at http://faircalls.good.do/action