You probably don’t think about payphones until you need one in an emergency. But did you know, Telstra operates approximately 15,000 public payphones across Australia?
The provision of payphones is underpinned by rules set out in 5 'legislative instruments' under the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999. These cover payphone location, installation, removal, performance, consultation and complaint handling. These rules will end on 1 April 2022, unless they're remade.
We're seeking your views on whether the rules in these instruments are needed in the future, and if so, what they should deal with and how.
This consultation is not about the future of payphones, which is part of the Universal Service Guarantee for telecommunications and required under the law. Rather, the consultation process is about the detailed rules governing their provision.
More information on the instruments, the rules they contain, and how to share your views with us can be found at:
- Have Your Say—Consultation on the review of payphone rules
- Review of sunsetting payphone instruments—consultation paper
Submissions are sought by Friday 18 February 2022. The consultation period has been extended to take into account the summer break.
If you wish to include confidential comments, please mark those clearly in your submission and mark the submission 'confidential'.