Money

Telstra payphones become free for calls within Australia

Published

5 years ago

August 3, 2021

Australia’s biggest telco has made major changes to its public phone system

Aussies can now use Telstra payphones for free to call any number locally or nationally.

The telecommunications giant made the announcement today and says the decision is aimed at helping those in crisis situations and boosting connectivity during the pandemic for people without access to a mobile.

Telstra CEO, Andrew Penn stated that the change means that everyone will have access to one of the network’s 15,000 payphones to make a free local or national call to a standard fixed line or a call to an Australian mobile.

“Telstra Payphones are now free phones for everyone to anywhere in Australia. They are an iconic and critical part of our community, and for many Australians, the availability of a payphone is a vital lifeline, especially for those who are vulnerable including the homeless, people who are isolated or someone escaping an unsafe situation.”
Telstra CEO Andy Penn said in a statement

International calls will still be charged at overseas rates

International and calls to premium and satellite numbers will still incur a cost, while Telstra Air remains free to eligible Telstra customers. Payphones will also become coinless from 1 October 2021 with Telstra Phonecards recommended for dialing international and premium numbers.

Telstra announces major change to payphone network.

Dedicated to critical services

In the past year, about 11 million calls were made across Australia from Telstra payphones including more than 230,000 calls to critical services like ‘000’ and Lifeline.

Mr Penn said during natural disasters, including the recent flood crisis and Black Summer bushfires, payphones have served as a “critical” part of helping families contact loved ones and emergency services.

Today’s initiative builds on Telstra’s five-year program providing free national calls on its payphones during the Christmas and New Year period which it works closely on with the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army’s Major Brendan Nottle welcomed today’s news, saying, “This is an absolute game-changer for many of the people we work with across the nation. The reality is this piece of infrastructure is absolutely critical because a lot of Australians either don’t have a mobile phone, lose it or the phone’s charger, or simply run out of credit.”

Payphones are an iconic part of our community. To make them accessible to everyone, we’re making them free for calls across Australia pic.twitter.com/gbPNNYr1dS
— Andrew Penn (@andy_penn) August 2, 2021

Money

Australia’s inflation report and Nvidia earnings impact explained

Australia’s inflation report sparks market shifts, influencing interest rates, the Aussie dollar, and investor sentiment amid Nvidia’s earnings.

Published

3 days ago

February 26, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Australia’s inflation report sparks market shifts, influencing interest rates, the Aussie dollar, and investor sentiment amid Nvidia’s earnings.

Australia’s latest inflation report is creating waves across the market, with questions about interest rates, the strong performance of the Aussie dollar, and the uneven nature of the stock market rally. Investors are watching closely as changes in carry trade risks this month add another layer of complexity.

David Scutt from StoneX discusses what these shifts mean for trading strategies and the broader economic outlook. He provides insight into how underlying factors are shaping investor confidence and market dynamics.

On the tech side, Nvidia’s upcoming earnings are expected to influence AI development and the broader tech sector. Coupled with trends in SaaS and bitcoin price action, these movements are signalling how investor sentiment is evolving in a fast-changing landscape.

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#AustraliaEconomy #InflationReport #AussieDollar #NvidiaEarnings #AIInvesting #StockMarketNews #BitcoinTrends #SaaSInsights

Money

U.S. stocks rally as AMD, Home Depot, and AI software lead gains

U.S. equities rose as AI disruption fears eased, with Home Depot, AMD, and DocuSign driving tech stock gains.

Published

4 days ago

February 25, 2026

Harvey Vargas

U.S. equities rose as AI disruption fears eased, with Home Depot, AMD, and DocuSign driving tech stock gains.

U.S. tech stocks surged as investors’ fears over AI disruption eased. Advanced Micro Devices jumped 9% after Meta announced a multiyear deal to deploy AMD’s graphics processing units for AI data centres. The move highlights growing corporate confidence in AI infrastructure investments.

DocuSign also rose 3% following Anthropic’s confirmation that Claude Cowork can integrate with DocuSign, Google Drive, and Gmail, signalling stronger adoption of AI tools across industries.

The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF climbed 2% despite remaining over 30% below its 52-week high, showing tech stocks are recovering but still have room to run.

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Money

Stocks tumble amid AI concerns and Trump tariff update

Dow drops 800+ points as AI and trade worries hit tech and retail stocks; bonds rise amid market volatility.

Published

5 days ago

February 24, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Dow drops 800+ points as AI and trade worries hit tech and retail stocks; bonds rise amid market volatility.

Stocks plunged sharply as concerns over artificial intelligence and trade tensions rattled investors, sending the Dow down more than 800 points. Heavyweights like American Express, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan were key contributors to the drop.

Software companies were hit particularly hard after a report suggested AI could impact economic growth, triggering further losses across tech shares.

Trade-sensitive retailers including American Eagle Outfitters, Ralph Lauren, and Yeti Holdings also faced setbacks as market uncertainty spiked. Bonds, meanwhile, rallied as investors sought safety in a volatile market.

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