Optus fixed calls now charged per minute

Optus has announced plans to begin charging landline phone customers in one-minute blocks instead of traditional 30-second blocks from the end of this month.

Optus will begin this new billing method for national STD calls and fixed-to-mobile calls from 27 November, which it says is designed to bring its fixed-line plans into line with its mobile plans. In March, Telstra also moved to begin charging its mobile customers in one-minute blocks.

The telco is downplaying the changes, telling ZDNet Australia in a statement that most customers wouldn't notice a major change.

"The vast majority of Optus fixed-line customers are on unlimited plans or plans with included call value. Therefore these changes will have limited impact on their monthly bill," Optus said.

"While this particular scenario represents a significant increase, the actual impact on customers will be nowhere near this magnitude, given the majority of customers make much longer calls or have call value, or unlimited calls, included in their plans," the company added.

The company has also moved to bring over the last 5 per cent of post-paid mobile customers to the new one-minute block billing system from 6 November.