Calls from public phone boxes across the country are now free.

From today, Telstra is waiving fees at its 15,000 phone boxes in a bid to make it easier for people to stay connected in times of crisis.

The move is expected to cost Telstra $5 million in lost revenue.

Telstra CEO Andy Penn told Gareth Parker about 11 million calls a year are made from pay phones.

“230,000 of those were to emergency type services, like triple zero or domestic violence hotlines, so they pay a pretty important life line in the community,” he said.

“It just struck me how important communication is these days, and particularly in times of crisis, and particularly how important it is we keep vulnerable customers connected.”

The phone boxes have a maximum call time of six hours and people will still be charged for international calls from public phones.

Press PLAY below to hear more about why public phones are now free

(Photo: iStock by Getty Images.)