Australia is why
Australia is why
We’re creating a future that will enable every Australian to connect, share, work and play. This is our mission, and we’re in it for the long haul.
What is our why?
Australia is why we get up in the morning. It’s why we connect millions of Australians, every day. It’s why we support our wonderfully diverse communities. It’s why we embrace artistic and sporting passions. And it’s why we care deeply about our unique environment and the precious ecosystems it supports.
Our new TV commercial
This tells the story of why we’re inspired to do the things we do. Filmed in Broken Hill, Sydney and Melbourne, it depicts a day in the life of a real Telstra technician – one of many who keep our network going in every corner of the country. Featuring the diversity of the Australian people and our stunning landscape, it was shot by acclaimed Australian director, John Hillcoat.
FOOTAGE: We open at dawn on an outback landscape. A Telstra technician gets out of bed and we see his car driving along an outback road.
SOUND EFFECT: Alarm from phone / TEXT: We all have a why
FOOTAGE: We cut to a mother holding her newborn. The baby yawns and Mum starts to cry.
TEXT: He is why
FOOTAGE: We cut to a burnout landscape, then a wind farm.
TEXT: This is why
FOOTAGE: We cut to a young man wearing makeup, taking a selfie in the mirror. Love heart emojis float from his phone screen. The boy starts to cry with happiness.
TEXT: Kindness is why
FOOTAGE: We cut to a young woman in traditional dress hugging a young man who’s about to get married. There are lights and wedding guests in the background. / We then cut to a young girl in her bedroom watching the wedding on her computer screen.
TEXT: Love is why
SOUND BITE; “Are you ready?’
FOOTAGE: We cut to a phone box on a suburban street. A Mum and her son are in the phone box and there’s bushfire smoke in the background.
TEXT: That one call is why
SOUND BITE: “Dad it’s me, we got out. I love you dad”
FOOTAGE: We cut to the same Telstra van from the beginning, travelling along the outback road. We then move to inside the van and see a Telstra tech driving. HE has a grey beard.
SOUND EFFECT: Mobile navigation voice “308 Kms to your destination”
TEXT: Every hour is why
FOOTAGE: We cut to inside a moving ambulance during a medical emergency. A paramedic wearing headphones in the back of the van urgently reports to the ambo driver:
SOUND BITE: “No beds at St Michaels, get to The Royal”
TEXT: Every second is why
FOOTAGE: We cut to a group of designers and web developers huddled around a computer screen. They have uploaded something which is about to go live. They look excited and cheer when the word ‘published’ appears onscreen.
TEXT: Going live is why
SOUND BITE: “Here it comes….<cheer>”
FOOTAGE: We cut to a montage of male ballet dancers performing leaps on stage and in a practice studio, followed by an AFL player marking the ball.
TEXT: Going further is why
SOUND EFFECT: Crowd cheering
FOOTAGE: We cut to the same bearded Telstra technician from earlier who is getting out of his van, putting on his helmet and walking towards a telecommunications tower. There is another technician in the background.
FOOTAGE: We cut to an aerial shot of an outback school with kids running around. We then enter the classroom and see a teacher and her students in the middle of a guitar lesson that is being taught onscreen. The camera moves around the classroom to show the students who are transfixed by their lesson.
TEXT: Class 4B is why
FOOTAGE: We cut to a silhouetted shot of the same telecommunications tower and the technician is climbing up it. We then cut to a long-distance shot of the tower with a truck in front of it.
The ‘T’ for Telstra logo appears.
TEXT: Australia is why
- END -
Connecting Australians is why
We’ve been a telco for over 100 years and throughout that time, we’ve stayed true to our mission: to connect Australians, with each other – and the world. That’s why a Mum in Coober Pedy can call her daughter in London, anytime she feels like saying, “hi”. It’s also why that same Mum can video call her accountant in Adelaide to chat about a business matter.
Family. Friends. Business. All the reasons why we work so hard to keep you connected.
Australia is why
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED
Regional Australia
Your security
Regional Australia
Our 5G rollout
Keeping you connected
Supporting our communities is why
Community is something we do well in this country. We promote equality, embrace different cultures and buy local. Our support for each other is constant, so you know we’ve got your back, even when times get tough. Telstra’s way of contributing is to make sure that every Australian has access to the internet and a phone (yes, even payphones).
We’re proud to be part of the Australian community. That’s why we support it.
free payphones
Internet of things
Tech-savvy seniors
Social inclusion
Data solutions for ambulances
First Nations Communities
Celebrating small business
Small business community
Financial assistance
Accessibility for all
Youth mental health
Our $2M mental health relief package to longstanding Telstra Foundation partners Reach Out and Orygen Digital will fast track and enhance online mental health support for young people across Australia.
- Jackie Coates, Head of Telstra Foundation
Encouraging your passions is why
Hours, weeks, months, years of practice. Cheering ‘til you’re hoarse. Australians are clever, creative and driven. And we’re good at appreciating each other. Sport bonds us. Art moves us. We love supporting what you love - it’s our way of giving back to the community.
That’s why we offer partnerships and mentorships to help bring your dreams to life.
Proud partnerships
Longstanding partnerships
New partnerships
Building on partnerships
We share our passion for connecting people to what’s important. Since 1984, we’ve been proud Principal Partner of The Australian Ballet, bringing the joy of ballet to more communities - and making this one of Australia’s longest-running arts partnerships.
Protecting our environment is why
Connecting you is only half our story. The other half is a much weightier responsibility (1.3 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, to be precise). As one of Australia’s biggest power consumers, we’ve set three major targets that will drastically reduce our footprint over the next few years. We've already met one of those targets. And we’ll continue to lead by example.
It’s our commitment to Australia. And that’s why we’re up for the challenge.
Savanna burning project
Renewable Energy
Recycling
Sustainable packaging
Our climate action plan is to: be carbon neutral from 2020, enable 100% renewable energy production by 2025, and reduce our absolute emissions by at least 50% by 2030.