Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
International Calls
»
You can make international ISD (International Subscriber Dialling) calls from most
phones, but the cheapest deals come through phonecards where calls to the UK and USA
can be as low as 5c per minute.
»
To call overseas from Australia, dial the international access code from Australia (0011
or 0018), the country code, the area code (minus the initial '0'), then the local phone num-
ber.
»
Dialling Australia from overseas, use the 61 country code, then the state/territory STD
area code (minus the initial '0'), then the local phone number.
Local Calls
Local calls cost 50c from public phones; 25c from private phones - there are no time lim-
its. Calls to/from mobile phones cost more and are timed.
Long-distance Calls
Australia uses four Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) area codes for long-distance calls,
which can be made from public phones. Long-distance calls are timed; rates vary depend-
ing on distance, service provider and time of day - they're cheaper off-peak (usually
between 7pm and 7am).
STD AREA CODES
»
New South Wales & ACT 02
»
Victoria & Tasmania 03
»
Queensland 07
»
South Australia, Northern Territory & Western Australia 08
Mobile (Cell) Phones
Numbers
Australian mobile-phone numbers have the prefixes 04xx.
Reception
Australia's mobile networks service more than 90% of the population but leave
vast tracts of the country uncovered. Adelaide, Darwin and most of central Australia's
settled areas get good reception, but as the towns thin out, so does the service. Don't rely
on coverage in outback areas.
Networks
Australia's digital network is compatible with GSM 900 and 1800 (used in
Europe), but isn't compatible with the systems used in the USA or Japan.
Providers
It's easy and cheap to get connected short term - the main service providers
all have prepaid mobile systems.
