Telstra users face higher landline fees

TELSTRA is hitting hundreds of thousands of home phone and business customers with higher landline fees.

From November 1, affected households will pay $ 2 more a month, up 4.5 to 11.1 per cent depending on their plan.

For some businesses, monthly access charges will rise by between $ 2 and $ 60, up as much as 12 per cent.

Various call features on some Integrated Services Digital Network business plans also will rise by between 50c and $ 14 a month, up 8.2 to 14.8 per cent.

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network policy director Una Lawrence said people were already paying big amounts for having a home phone.

“It’s another financial pressure that ekes away at the bud- get when households have been facing cost increases in other essential areas such as energy,” Ms Lawrence said.

Telstra’s head of fixed products, Jana Kotatko, said it had worked to minimise the price increases.

“We know affordability and value is important to our customers …,” Ms Kotatko said.

“The changes reflect our ongoing investment in operat- ing and maintaining voice services across Australia and costs such as labour and electricity as the number of customers using our fixed network significantly diminishes as Australians move to the NBN network.”

About 640,000 residential and 100,000 business customers on some older fixed- line phone plans are impacted.

The new monthly household access charges for Home Phone Basic and Casual; and Voice Light, Complete, Part and Plus plans; range from $ 19.95 to $ 45.95.

Ms Kotatko said fewer than one- fifth of fixed voice customers were affected. They would be advised of any better value options.

There was no price change for an Essential plan designed to help low- income households, and pensioner discounts were being retained.

IT’S ANOTHER FINANCIAL PRESSURE THAT EKES AWAY AT THE BUDGET WHEN HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BEEN FACING COST INCREASES IN OTHER ESSENTIAL AREAS SUCH AS ENERGY. UNA LAWRENCE