Telstra are finishing their Phoneaway Card in November.It has been kept very quiet..this card is used by travellers and people using their InContact Service..used by low income users..and is not timed.They have another card which slots into a public phone..and is timed…This will effect thousands of users.
Wow those things still exist? Thousands of users; that many? Mobile phones and SIMs are so cheap, I can't see people bothering with these any more. BTW:
* affect
They have another card which slots into a public phone..and is timed
Phonecards are also untimed for local calls
Phoneway rates are also untimed for local calls
After local calls all other calls are timed with both cards -. So what do you mean?
From Telstra - Phoneaway rates
Local calls 49¢ per call
Timed national calls* 21¢ per minute plus 49¢ connection fee
Calls to mobiles
within Australia*
44¢ per minute plus 49¢ connection fee
Terrible service anyway…an unreliable waste of money IME…the number of shitfights we've had with Telstra over these things (on behalf of clients) is appalling!
All noted guys and thanks for replying…I am Pensioner and along with many others use the Telstra Incontact Service which is a free landline service but uses Phoneaway only to ring out.I realise Voip,mobile phones etc sre available,but all cost money..ok if you are working…this will hurt a number of users..maybe not thousands.
Contact Telstra to see if incontact is being modified to let you call out other services.
BTW how do you access the internet?
There are VOIP services that you can make untimed local calls for 10c
Unlimited call/txt mobile plans are available (often on here) for under $25 a month, and a serviceable mobile (even a smartphone) can easily be had for under $50. I have plenty of clients on DSPs easily able to afford that…you might even find it's cheaper than phoneaway.
Hi…I am aware of mobile deals etc and use myself many of these listed on here…my concern is the cancellation of the card itself.Many people on lower incomes either cant afford or dont even want to use this technology for whatever reason.Plus anyone using a normal homephone ringing someone who has a cheap smartphone,has to pay for the call at mobile rates.This is like a dog chasing its tail..but the need for a phonaway card is there for many people.
Agree with your sentiments, however Telstra is now privately owned and isnt required to keep products that are unprofitable. The Universal Service obligation and Payphones are subsidised by the Government. I think you will find PhoneAway isn't.
As such if the general PhoneAway business is not making money then Telstra isn't going to keep it. As is the case.
It's up to the Government, albeit thru public pressure, to find an alternative way for those who cant or wont want to change. Telstra shouldn't have to do this. Unless it is mandated for all Telco's eg Optus Vodaphone,
Again I understand those needs, but its now a political issue rather than a business one
It appears that Hello Communciations has released the "Phone Today" card to target those using the PhoneAway card locally if this updated product pagefrom one of their distributors is anything to go by. No information on the Hello Communications site yet, so I suggest you contact them or one of their distributers to find stockists. One welcome difference is that national calls are charged at 49c untimed like local calls.
Are you really sure that many people use the phoneaway card.
Had a friend who worked with these cards at Telstra 16 years ago, and even then the demand for these cards were dropping, thats why they found another job.
Ironically it was also at that time the phonecard (chip in payphone) was even less in demand.
With Mobile phones so cheap and Internet VOIP calling OS with 3rd party cards so cheap why would "thousands" even consider phoneaway cards?