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In July this year, we hit a major milestone—1,014 Telstra public phones have now been upgraded in disaster-prone areas across Australia. These aren’t just any upgrades. Each public phone now includes battery backup, Free Telstra Wi-Fi, VoLTE connectivity —ensuring they stay online even when the power goes out.
Over the past two years, natural disasters have tested this infrastructure, and the results speak for themselves. Many of these upgraded public phones were located directly in the path of recent events and continued to operate when mains power failed. They’ve become vital lifelines for emergency calls, information access, and device charging.
What’s even more powerful is the impact on First Nations communities. 83 public phones were upgraded in remote Indigenous communities, and another 167 in communities with significant First Nations populations. For many, this was their first access to broadband—and Wi-Fi usage has surged as a result.
We’ve seen the difference these upgrades make, these public phones are more than infrastructure—they’re connection points, community hubs, and symbols of resilience.
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