The telecommunications market is dominated by Telstra (a former state monopoly), and SingTel Optus Pty Limited.
Phone charges in Australia depend on the time, duration and destination of the call. Land line phone calls are charged per minute while mobile calls may be charged either per minute or every thirty seconds. There are premium plans with flat rates for international calls, weekends and discounts on weekday charges.
How to make a phone call
Australia's country code is 61. When calling to Australia from abroad, you must also dial the area code (without the “0”).
If you want to call abroad from Australia, you must dial 0011 (0015 for faxes).
Telephone numbers in Australia are eight digits long, but you must add prefixes when calling from one region to another (known as domestic long-distance call). Australia is divided in four different area codes:
- 02 – Central East region
- 03 – South-East region
- 07 – North-East region
- 08 – Central and West region
Sometimes area codes do not match state borders. Double check the code you must dial for cities or towns close to state borders. You can find the area codes in any telephone directory or at the Australian Government website .
Calling mobile phones from a land line in Australia is also known as a domestic long-distance call. Mobile phones' prefix for domestic long-distance calls and international calls is 04.
Toll-free numbers and Local Rate Numbers
Toll-free numbers in Australia are known as “phonewords”. They begin with 1800. Toll-free numbers from public services in Australia are:
- 000 and 106 (for hearing impaired) - Police, Fire and Ambulance
- 1234 - Operator Assistance
- 12550 - Collect Calls
- 12344 - Domestic Directory Assistance
- 1225 - International Directory Assistance
Australian Local Rate Numbers or Smart Numbers, begin with 13 and 1300. Smart Numbers are free for the first minute but after that they charge a local call fee.
Premium services
Premium services in Australia include adult services, competitions, psychics, mobile ringtones, etc. Australian premium services have a 190 prefix. These service rates can be expensive and they vary within providers.
You can opt out of premium services from mobile phones by replying the word “STOP” in a text message to the service's number.