Talking Telstra

Telstra is Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company, offering a full range of communications services and competing in all telecommunications markets.

• In Australia we provide 17.7 million retail mobile services, 4.9 million retail fixed voice services and 3.6 million retail fixed broadband services.
• We believe the more connected people are, the more opportunities they have. That's why we help create a brilliant connected future for everyone, every day.
• We build technology and content solutions that are simple and easy to use, including Australia’s largest and fastest national mobile network.
• We strive to serve and know our customers better than anyone else – offering a choice of not just digital connection, but digital content as well.
• We have an international presence spanning over 20 countries.

As Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company, Telstra is proud to be helping our customers improve the ways in which they live and work through connection.

Fast Facts:

• We have Australia's largest network
• Recognised as Australia’s most valuable brand
• Staff in over 20 countries
• Over 350 Telstra Stores and 70 Telstra Business Centres
• Mobile network covering more than 2.4 million square kilometres
• Provide AFL, NRL and Netball content data-free to customers
• 218,000 additional domestic mobile customers
• nbn market share (ex-satellite) of 52 per cent
• 4G mobile network now reaches 99 per cent of the Australian population
• 5.4 million retail fixed voice services
• 3.5 million retail fixed data services
• Helped more than 1 million vulnerable customers stay connected

Most of us have been asked before ‘Why should I choose Telstra?’. In an increasingly competitive market, we want to make it easy for you to have those conversations and feel proud to work with Telstra.

It’s for this reason we’ve gathered some compelling answers to the question ‘Why choose Telstra?’ below. We worked together with experts across the business, including networks, products and our customer facing colleagues from stores, contact centres and our field workforce.

• Telstra provides you with fast, reliable broadband. Telstra is Australia’s #1 broadband provider – trusted by more Australians.
  
  
• More 4G coverage than anyone else. The Telstra Network isn’t just faster, it goes further. It connects you on the move, with more speed in more places, reaching 99% of Australians.
  
  
• Faster than the rest. A new kind of network enables you to stream sport, music and entertainment with less buffering on Australia’s fastest mobile network. *Based on national average combined mobile speeds.
  
  
• We are Australia’s fastest mobile network. *Based on national average combined mobile speeds.
  
  
• Don’t let the crowd slow you down. Enjoy your favourite content with fewer slowdowns even in crowded places like shops or on the bus (using a 4GX device in a 4GX area). *Speeds vary for reasons like local conditions, device and content accessed. The Telstra Mobile Network offers 4GX in all capital CBDs and selected suburban and regional areas and is progressively rolling out to more places. In other coverage areas around Australia, you’ll automatically switch to our fastest available 4G or 3G. Check coverage at telstra.com/coverage.
  
  
• More Reliable. Fewer drop outs across Australia – Enjoy a more reliable connection that has fewer drop outs and works better in more places, including in buildings, than any other Australian mobile network.
  
  
• A connection you can count on. Telstra was the first Australian ISP to launch an all-in-one hybrid modem, the Telstra Smart Modem™ brings together our fixed and mobile networks for a more reliable home broadband connection. T&Cs Apply.
  
  
• Small Business Mobile broadband backup. If there is an outage to your fixed connection, switch to the Telstra Mobile Network and connect to your customers with Australia’s largest mobile network. T&Cs Apply.
  
  
• Telstra Smart Home TM.  Remotely manage your home from your smartphone with a simple, secure app and easy-to-install devices.
  
  
• Front row action with Telstra TV®.  Telstra TV® is the simple way to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Play straight to your TV. Enjoy movies straight from the cinema on BigPond Movies, the most talked about TV shows and free to air catch-up TV. Exclusive to Telstra.
  
  
• Get rewarded with Telstra Plus™.   It’s how we reward our customers with access to movies, music, sport and arts.
  
  
• The best brands in entertainment.  Access entertainment including over 90 Foxtel from Telstra channels or turn on Telstra TV® for access to the biggest brands in streaming services.
  
  
• Why Foxtel from Telstra.  The widest choice of the world’s best shows, movies and live sport across your TV, tablet and mobile.  Plus, flexibility to change your package once a month to suit your needs. And with the Foxtel app, you can watch live or stream your favourite shows or sporting event on the go. When signing up online you can add an extra Foxtel box to rooms in your house and watch different channels at the same time.
  
  
• Access over 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots across Australia.  Only the Telstra Air Network® lets you access over 1 million hotspots across Australia and millions of Fon hotspots overseas. 
  
  
• Australia's fastest mobile hotspot, only from Telstra. The Netgear Nighthawk M1 can achieve speeds fast enough to download a 3GB HD movie in as little as 3 minutes in 4GX areas. Plus, you can use up to 20 Wi-Fi enabled devices at once, so all the family can connect to Australia’s fastest mobile network.

Why Telstra for my business?

• Take your business out of the office.  Be ‘that’ business with the latest smartphones and tablets, mobile broadband, leasing plans and the Telstra Apps Marketplace. All of which enable you to access your data on the go, transforming almost any space into your business space.
  
  
• A team of business specialists.  Over 1000 business specialist’s available in-store and at our Telstra Business Centres, we have the right team to provide tech, guidance and support to help your business become ‘that’ business and give you the tools to thrive.
  
  
• Make your business work better for you.  Experience reliable business broadband and mobile data, integrated office and mobile calling solutions, access to the world’s leading business tools and apps, plus exclusive plan inclusions.
  
  
• Protect Your Business Broadband Protect, Business Protect and Business Grade Security apps give you peace of mind that your business is safe.
  
  
• Free Static IP Ensures your server and email remain reachable and allows you to set up for remote access.
  
  
• Choose from our range of Business Grade solutions.  With generous data downloads and unlimited uploads at every plan level, calling inclusions to suit your needs and the best range of business inclusions, there’s a plan for your business.
  
  
• Unlimited Uploads.  Back-up to the cloud, update your website, share files or expand your social media without worrying about your data allowance.
  
  
• Telstra Apps Marketplace.  Our online marketplace that features the world’s leading business applications and services hand-picked by Telstra for businesses of all sizes.
  

• Telstra2022, our corporate strategy, will enable us to lead the Australian market by simplifying our products and services to improve customer experience, simplify our operations, and reduce our cost base. Our strategy has four pillars:
• Radically simplify our product offerings, eliminate customer pain points and create all digital experiences
• Establish a standalone infrastructure business unit to drive performance and provide future optionality post the nbn rollout
• Greatly simplify our structure and ways of working to empower our people and serve our customers
• Industry leading cost reduction program and portfolio management
  
  
• It also builds on the up to $3 billion of capex announced in 2016 which we have been investing in our Networks for the Future and business digitisation programs.
  
  T22 Frequently Asked Questions.

• Why does Telstra need to change?
  The Australian telco market is entering an extremely challenging period, driven by a number of factors including the nbn™ transition and increased mobile competition. In a changing environment, traditional companies that do not respond are most at risk. Telstra is now at a tipping point where we must act more boldly if we are to continue to be the nation’s leading telecommunications company. 
  
  
• Will this mean more work being done outside Australia?
  This is not about the location of roles; it is about changing the way we work and removing roles in a simplified model.
  
  
• How will Telstra ensure network reliability?
  Establishing Australia’s best next generation network is our number one priority across the business. The Telstra2022 strategy is underpinned by our ability to offer customers the largest, fastest, safest, smartest and most reliable next generation network.
  
  
• What do these changes mean for regional customers and communities?
  Our commitment to regional Australia is unwavering. We have the best service and best network in regional Australia, and this is not going to change.
  
  
• Will Telstra’s prices increase as you move to new plans?
  We will offer customers a wide range of plans to choose from to suit their budget and needs. Customers moving to our new plans will also benefit from greater cost certainty and packages where they only pay for the services they use. 
  
  
• How will Telstra’s new plans benefit customers?
  We will introduce 20 core plans, backed up by an effortless digital service that removes complexity and provides cost certainty. This will enable us to address the issues that we know frustrate our customers.

Our network is a cut above the rest. Our mobile network provides faster speeds in more places and our fixed broadband network is trusted by more Australians. Regional and remote areas are where the Telstra network really shines, Telstra has a number of initiatives that centre around investing in our remote areas to provide much needed telecommunications for regional Australians.

• The best mobile network. Get the most out of your mobile phone with the network that gives you greater coverage and faster speeds in more places.
  
  
• 4GX. When analogue television was switched off in Australia, the spectrum it was running on – 700MHz – became available. We took up twice as much of this superior spectrum as any other carrier to deliver you 4GX.
  
  
• Better in the bush – 4GX uses superior 700MHz spectrum that can go further than previous 4G frequencies, creating extra 4G coverage in rural and regional areas.
  
  
• More for metro – 4GX offers extra 4G in-building coverage and faster 4G in-building speeds compared to our regular 4G, bringing speedy web access when you use a compatible device in a 4GX area.
  
  
• 4GX-Lite. Telstra’s new 4G satellite small cell technology 4GX-lite provides affordable access to 4G services on the Telstra mobile network for people living, travelling, and working in remote areas of Australia. This new technology gives customers access to email, text, voice calls, browsing, basic data and voice calls on compatible devices in areas where coverage was previously challenging.
  
  
• Mobile Blackspot Program. This program will deliver mobile coverage to many regional and remote communities who, for the first time, will be able to access fast mobile voice and data services. The improved coverage is increasing access to new technologies for key regional sectors like agriculture, transport, mining and tourism – technologies which rely on a fast, reliable and affordable mobile network.
  
  
• Telstra Smart Modem™ Gen 2. The Telstra Smart Modem™ Gen 2 combines our fixed broadband and mobile networks by connecting to our mobile network right out of the box. So that you can get online sooner.
  
  
• Telstra Air®. Free Wi-Fi data at over 1 million Telstra Air hotspots across Australia, and millions of Fon hotpots overseas, for eligible Telstra mobile and broadband customers.
  
  
• 5G. Telstra is building Australia's first 5G Network: the next generation in mobile technology.
  5G will transform the way we live and work, connecting devices faster, at higher quality, for more people and delivering ultra-fast mobile speeds. With expected speeds of up 20x those experienced on 4G, 5G will bring huge changes in the way Australians consume telecommunications. As mobile services increase and fixed services decline, we’ll see the introduction of exciting new technologies such as driverless cars, smart cities and homes, remote-controlled robots, and augmented reality in both entertainment and work
  
  
• Outages. Our network is large and complex comprising of more than 500,000 individual network elements. Given this size and scale, no one can guarantee that disruptions won’t ever happen. What we can do is reduce the likelihood and the impact of those disruptions. We know how important reliability is to our customers and we are continuing to invest in our network to meet the ever-growing demand for connectivity at the highest levels of resilience. We are investing billions of dollars a year to deliver the best mobile network in Australia with the largest coverage footprint and faster speeds in more places. We don’t always get it right, what we can do IS make sure when things don’t go to plan, and we have network outages or disruptions, that we react quickly and learn from the experience. 

• Company performance and share price. Telstra is operating in very challenging market dynamics and this has had an impact on returns for shareholders. There are a range of factors that influence your company’s financial performance, its share price and the dividend paid to shareholders. An absolutely unique challenge we have is the nbn, which is taking Telstra’s place as the wholesale network provider of fixed services in Australia. The rollout of the nbn is having the single biggest impact on Telstra’s financial performance and it is profound. Our net profit is the principal driver of how much dividend the company can pay to shareholders. When fully rolled out, the nbn will have reduced Telstra’s net profit after tax by close to a half. We also face increased competition in the mobile market. This includes the entrance of a fourth mobile network operator, TPG, which is now pursuing a merger with Vodafone. If this proposed merger eventuates, it will create an even more challenging competitor. Despite these challenges, the Telstra Board is confident that we are taking the right action to address the situation by defining a new strategy, Telstra2022 (T22), and executing on it.
  
  
• Company strategy Telstra 2022. The T22 strategy was announced on 20 June 2018. T22 will enable us to lead the market by simplifying our products and services to improve customer experience, simplifying our operations, and reducing our cost base. We will use our strong foundations to do so: from our state-of-the-art assets, to expansive scale, a nationwide network footprint, a growing customer base and a strong enterprise business.  Telstra’s size and legacy are significant assets that have contributed to our past success but they are also now acting as a barrier and they’re getting in the way of what Telstra now needs to be – a company agile and nimble enough to respond quickly to rapidly changing market dynamics. T22 will fundamentally change the nature of telecommunication products and services in Australia as well as radically change how we work. At its core, T22 is about delivering simpler, more flexible products with a great digital service experience.  We believe our plan is amongst the most ambitious in the telecommunications industry and this plan includes digitising our entire core operation, reducing consumer plans to just 20, reducing two to four layers of management, eliminating the needs for two thirds of customer service calls, continuing to provide the best network in Australia and taking out $2.5 billion of cost.
  
  
• Customer service. We recognise that despite our desire to provide world-class service, we do not always meet our customers’ expectations. As a business with millions of customers, handling over 900 million data and mobile connections every day, even relatively small problems can have a big impact. For Telstra to fix customer service once and for all, there is simply no alternative other than disrupting ourselves and becoming a digital business. At its core, therefore, T22 is about delivering simpler, more flexible products with a great digital service experience.    
  
  
• Why did we have to cut the dividend?  In August 2017 we announced a new dividend policy to support the objectives of our capital management framework. The policy more closely aligns ordinary dividends to underlying earnings1 and is consistent with shareholder feedback to maintain a strong balance sheet and flexibility to manage the business and invest, especially during the nbn transition. The impact of the nbn on Telstra’s financial performance is profound. Our net profit after tax (NPAT) is the principal driver of how much dividend the company can pay. The nbn will have reduced Telstra’s NPAT by close to a half when fully rolled out. There are few precedents in Australia for a challenge of this magnitude and it sits right at the heart of the issues we faced this year.  1 Underlying earnings is defined as Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) from continuing operations excluding net one-off nbn receipts (as defined in footnote 2).  2 “Net one-off nbn receipts” is defined as net nbn one off Definitive Agreement receipts (consisting of Per Subscriber Address Amount, Infrastructure Ownership and Retraining) less nbn net cost to connect less tax. 3 77% payout ratio on underlying earnings excluding Impairment and Foxtel gain on sale.
  
  
• Executive remuneration. It has been a challenging year for Telstra as we address significant market pressures, the impact of the nbn and increased competition. The Telstra Board set a demanding plan for our management team in the face of significant challenges to our business. Even though many measures of this plan were met, the Board recognises that this has not translated into positive outcomes for our shareholders. Accordingly, the Telstra Board applied discretion and reduced the Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP) outcomes by 30 per cent to balance recognising the achievements of the management team and the experience of shareholders. Despite this action, some shareholders still feel that the remuneration outcomes were either not sufficiently transparent or resulted in higher payouts than were reasonable. With hindsight, the Board recognises that there may not have been enough transparency around some of the metrics that we adopted to measure management performance and the reasons these were chosen. 
  
  
• Is it really Telstra calling? (Scam calls). Any attempt to deceive Telstra customers with false information is very concerning. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and customers need to be prepared for scam callers. Our advice is to hang up immediately if you are not sure who is calling. Telstra offers advice through the "Is it Really Telstra Calling" brochure which can be found at www.telstra.com/verify. You can report a suspicious call to Telstra's Sales Watch Hotline on 1800 260 270. If it is a persistent nuisance caller then we suggest you contact our Unwelcome Call centre https://www.telstra.com.au/consumer-advice/unwelcome-calls/contact-us or call 1800 805 996. Reducing scam calls is a whole-of-industry concern. It is legally and technically challenging to block scam callers as there needs to be a thorough process to correctly identify these calls and verify the activity. Even if a scam caller can be blocked, they can quickly begin using another number. 
  
  
• Offshore call centres. We use a mix of Telstra staff, local agencies and overseas partners to manage our customer calls and service needs. This provides flexibility to meet changing call volumes across the business. There are no plans to change this approach. Over time we expect to reduce all call volumes which will decrease our front of house workforce, including our workforce outside of Australia. We will continue to have infrastructure and people based in multiple locations, including outside of Australia, to service our global customer base. 

Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company offering a wide range of services globally, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

• Telstra’s heritage is proudly Australian, but we have a longstanding international business. Today, we have around 3,000 employees based in 22 countries outside of Australia providing services to hundreds of business and government customers.
  
  
• Our customers are global, our people are local and our assets are anchored in Asia. Over several decades we have established one of the largest subsea cable networks in the Asia-Pacific, supplying wholesale and enterprise customers around the world. We also provide sophisticated network application services and have growing interests in software, video delivery, online sales and e-Health.

Telstra is growing our international business in three ways:

1.  Leveraging our network to be a high-value communications partner for companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region through our Global Enterprise and Services division
2. In-country investment opportunities focused on connectivity
3. Bringing a suite of innovative solutions to market over the longer-term through targeted investments

• Disaster Relief. During a disaster, Telstra assist the emergency and essential service organisations with their telecommunication needs. Typically, our communications technicians are among the first to enter disaster affected areas to restore telecommunications services to our customers. We provide Satellite Cells on Wheels (SatCOWs) to boost coverage where it is needed and to support the coordination of the emergency service. Assistance packages are sent to thousands of customers affected by bushfires, severe storms, floods and tropical cyclones. We also make payphones free to use in disaster affected areas and provide a range of other community support measures including pre-paid handsets, recharge vouchers and access to broadband in evacuation centres.
  
  
• Emergency Services. Improvements to the Triple Zero (000) service, which is operated by Telstra, mean that emergency services organisations can now obtain automatic access to improved information about the location of people who dial Triple Zero (000) from a mobile phone. This enhanced information has the potential to save time in locating and reaching people in life-threatening emergency situations.
  
  
• Did you know? In 2014 we completed large-scale trials of LANES, the LTE Advanced Network for Emergency Services, a ground-breaking technology developed by Telstra to provide emergency services groups with reliable wireless broadband communications in emergency situations. LANES technology enables us to separate a portion of spectrum that 4G network technology can operate on and offer this to emergency services for their exclusive use in times of emergency. This means no matter how many people are using the Telstra network, emergency services can have a dedicated ‘lane’ to carry their critical communications in 4G coverage areas. Following the successful use of LANES technology to support police operations during the G20 Summit in Brisbane in November 2014, we were recognised with the Broadband for All: Outstanding LTE Contribution award at the 2015 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
  
  
• Telstra Business Awards and Telstra Business Women’s Award. For the last 19 years, we’ve been running the Telstra Business Women's Awards, recognising the many talented women leading, innovating and mentoring the next generation. The winners list is full of truly remarkable women who inspire others through their leadership, innovation and courage. Since 1992, the Telstra Australian Business Awards have been applauding the engine-room of our economy: entrepreneurs, innovators and business people. The prestigious awards offer a unique chance for small to medium businesses to be recognised for their hard work, commitment and success.
  
  
• The Telstra Foundation. Through the Telstra Foundation, we work hand in hand with partners who are eager to make the most of new technology. By encouraging them to innovate, more Australians can experience the benefits of the digital world. Some of our flagship partnerships and initiatives include:
  • eSmart Libraries - Telstra Foundation’s eSmart Libraries partnership with The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, launched in 2012, will better equip 1,500 public libraries across the country and support library users with the skills they need for smart, safe and responsible use of technology. This $8 million, multi-year partnership is one of the most significant community cyber-safety programs ever undertaken in Australia.
  • Indigenous Digital Excellence - We continue to implement our $5 million, multi-year partnership with the National Centre of Indigenous Digital Excellence (NCIE) to create the Indigenous Digital Excellence (IDX) Initiative, which will develop platforms, apps, programs, and events to improve community wellbeing.
  • The Telstra's Kids Fund - is a unique countrywide program run by the Telstra Foundation. It offers our employees the chance to support community groups their children and families benefit from. The Fund gives grants to grass roots initiatives and projects that develop children’s talents and increase their connection to their own communities.
     
• Access for Everyone Program. This program was designed to assist people on a low income, or facing financial hardship, maintain telecommunications access. We have a range of measures to improve the affordability of telecommunications. This includes our InContact service, improved billing and pricing options, and the Pensioner Discount Scheme. Our Access for Everyone Low-Income Package and Marketing Plan identifies those in need and matches products and services to help them maintain access to communications.

• inDigiMOB. An on-the-ground digital literacy and cyber safety program in communities across the NT which also provides technical support in remote and high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population areas.  This program directly addresses critical barriers to the take up and use of technology and is being delivered with our partner the Indigenous Remote Communications Association.
  
  
• Environmental solutions. Telstra’s Environment Strategy focuses on using technology to address environmental challenges while also helping our suppliers, customers and the communities we serve to do the same. Telstra’s Environment Strategy is comprised of five strategic priorities:

1. Managing Carbon Emissions – Reducing carbon emissions intensity by 50% by 2020.
2. Climate Change Resilience – Ensuring climate change risks are embedded in our Networks for the Future program.
3. Low-carbon Economic Growth – Enabling a low carbon economy by helping reduce our customers’ carbon emissions. 
4. Resource Efficiency – Reusing or recycling 60 tonnes of old mobile phones and increasing Telstra’s waste recycling rate to 42% by 2020.
5. Environment Management – Achieving best practice environmental management.

• Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company with a growing international business, and a heritage that is proudly Australian.
   
• We work closely with licensees and partners who operate Telstra Stores and have a global network of industry partners who provide us with services and solutions for our customers. 
  
  
• We achieved a sustainable engagement score of 71 per cent in Employee Engagement Survey.
  
  
• We are ranked in the top 100 companies globally for diversity and inclusion in the Thomas Reuters Index.
  
  
• 27.8% of our executive management are women.
  
  
• 52.7% of our graduate intake is female.
  
  
• Our CEO, Andrew Penn is a member of the Male Champions of Change.
  
  
• Accredited as a White Ribbon Workplace recognising our work to help stop violence against women.
  
  
• We are among the top employers for LGBT+ inclusion in the Australian Workplace Equality Index, a Silver employer for LGBT+ employees in the Hong Kong LGBT+ Index, Distinguished Performance as Best Employer and Best Practices for LGBT Asian Employees in the 2017 Asia Society Best Employer and Best Practices Award, and we were proud winners of the Big Business Category in the 2017 Australian Multicultural Marketing Awards for our Place to Belong™ segmented Indigenous employment brand.
  
  
• We recognise that people need to balance their work and personal lives. It’s because of this, our program ‘All Roles Flex’ means flexibility is the starting point for all roles at Telstra – both at the recruitment stage and for current employees. It applies to every kind of role, including scheduled and non-scheduled environments and different working conditions. We're the first large corporate in Australia to implement an initiative like this and we've rolled it out globally.
  
  
• We provide competitive salaries, plus generous rewards and benefits. Eligible employees get 25% off all Telstra products and services, plus salary packaging, share options and performance bonuses.
  
  
• MyRewards@Telstra offers everything from travel, home and entertainment, vehicle, financial, health and wellbeing, and shopping discounts.
  
  

Learn more at https://careers.telstra.com/home

• Find a Telstra Store here.
• Call 13 22 00 for consumer enquiries
• Call 13 20 00 for small business enquiries
• For Service faults or outages, call 13 22 03
• Head to https://www.telstra.com.au/contact-us to talk on Live chat.
• Check out our range of product and services here.