Telstra upgrading 1,000 payphones with USB charging ports

Telstra is set to upgrade 1,000 payphones around Australia, adding USB ports to allow anyone to charge their mobile devices in times of need.

A Telstra spokesperson told us the upgraded payphones will have both a USB-C and USB-A port, but users will need to bring their own cable. Telstra will also be adding free WiFi access to these payphones.

While many Telstra payphones already have free WiFi access, the majority of the 1,000 being upgraded don't currently offer the feature.

In a blog post, Telstra Chief Customer Advocate Teresa Corbin said the telco knows offering free WiFi at its payphones can be especially important during natural disasters.

"We’ve seen lines of people queued up to make calls to loved ones following fires and floods, and even more who have brought deckchairs or eskies to sit down near a payphone and connect to the internet," said Corbin.

"To make sure more people can rely on our payphones and payphones with Telstra WiFi, we’re upgrading 1,000 payphones around the country."

"These 1,000 upgraded payphones will allow anyone to not only make free calls but also charge their devices with built-in USB charging facilities and stay active for longer thanks to better power backups."

WiFi has been free at Telstra payphones for the last two years. There are now around 4,000 payphones with free WiiFi. Telstra says 133.4TB of data was used across its free WiFi network in June 2024. Making calls at Telstra payphones is also free.

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Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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