Guide to VoIP in Australia

Australian VoIP providers
There's a growing number of carriers in Australia providing VoIP services, with the majority selling analog telephone adaptor (ATA)-based solutions -- that is, solutions that turn your normal phone into a VoIP one. Consumers can either go directly to the VoIP carrier and select a piece of hardware, or they can buy branded gear from major manufacturers such as Netgear, Netcomm, Linksys and others, which are tied to a particular VoIP service provider. Prices for the ATAs vary depending on its capabilities, but should set you back anywhere between AU$100 to AU$250. You'll then need to sign up to a service, which is where it becomes a little more complicated.

The most apt comparison is with mobile phone plans -- while in most cases there's no lock-in contracts, VoIP carriers take a leaf out of the mobile book by presenting consumers with a range of different plans with varying levels of benefits. A plan with no monthly fee, for example, may only give you a bare bones service, while a AU$10 a month plan will get you your own dedicated VoIP phone number that people can call. More expensive plans usually bundle in some call minutes, as well as other value adds like cheaper call rates.

Just as with a mobile phone plan, you'll need to do some serious shopping around between the various VoIP carriers to see which plan suits you best. The table below outlines the basic plans (two-way plans, which means you're assigned a VoIP number that people can call) of the major VoIP players in Australia, but make sure to visit each carrier's Web site for the most up to date information. And remember that the below figures don't include the cost of the ATA device!

Australian VoIP service providers*

What you need to know
engin
engin
MyNetFone
MyNetFone
Ace Communications
Ace Communications
Freshtel
Freshtel
Minimum monthly fee AU$9.95 AU$0 AU$9.95 AU$0
Local calls 10c untimed 10c untimed 10c untimed 6.9c per minute
National calls 10c untimed 10c per minute (AU$1.50 cap) 10c untimed 6.9c per minute
Calls to mobiles 29c per minute 29c per minute 29c per minute 30c per minute
Free calls Free engin to engin calls Free MyNetFone to MyNetFone calls Free Ace to Ace calls Free Firefly to Firefly

*Rates for basic service with assigned call in VoIP phone number. Check individual provider Web sites for the latest information. Different terms and conditions may apply.

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Talkback 5 comments

  1. There are many more other Australian providers Anonymous -- 05/09/05

    There are many more other Australian providers than listed in this story. The site http://www.ozinternetphones.com/ provides a much better reference (disclaimer, I have no connection with this site)

  2. NeoInvent Voip for business Anonymous -- 08/09/05

    I have just stumbled across a company here in Australia that actually does Voip. It does this for business only but the equipment they use is of high standard same kind of thing as the rest of them but i found also a couple of extra features.
    1. Follow me Phone
    2. Remote desktop Access
    3. All calls within Australia are charged at a local call except for mobiles.
    4. no line rental fee

    there phone number is : 1300554271

    1. neoinvent Anonymous -- 02/11/06

      i Wouldnt touch neoinvent with a bargepole if I had to again. I got my fingers well and truly burnt. I paid what they asked and then it was more bills on top of more bills from them , which I refused to pay. They couldnt even get the system up and running ,they disconnected my alarm system, which cost me a further $500 to fix, because they couldnt even fix that. Lots of smiles and "yes Yes we will fix this"alex beaumont and NOTHING. lOTS OF PROMISES TO GIVE ME BACK MY MONET , NEXT WEEK, NEXT WEEK AND A YEAR LATER nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. voip - skypeIN availale in Australia Tom Schofield -- 13/08/06

    You can get a skype In phone number in Australia now

  4. Cheaper mobile calls lucas -- 13/05/08

    Just like to point out two things:
    Mynetphone national calls are 10c untimed, not capped at a $1.50 like it says above (might apply to the softphone version only) and
    Mobile calls start at 16c/min which is 40% off the price of everyone else in Australia!

    I've been using mynetphone.com.au for a year now with my cable internet and no line rental (!). I don't pay a monthly fee use my mobiles for backup phones but never needed to anyway

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