What are 1300 Numbers?

Most people aren't exactly sure what a 1300 number is. Lets discuss it in detail so that by the end of this article, you will know exactly what they are and what they can do.

So the first definition I would give you is its a

Virtual Number

This means, it doesn't physically exist, it only exists inside the Telecommunications cloud, much like a domain name only exists on the internet.  You can own or you can lease a 1300 number, but you can never physically take possession of it.

Wikipedia describes 13 & 1300 numbers as Local rate numbers in this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Australia.

Questions?

Now, there are 2 categories of numbers, free and smartnumbers.  Many companies will brand them in different ways, but basically, 1 is released free by the ACMA to Telecommunications companies to connect, the others are sold by Auction at the smartnumbers website.  There are also a group of companies that has bought alot of the good 1300 numbers that make words and will lease you that number on a monthly basis.  This is their business model, and unfortunately there isn't much you can do about it.


Most carriers charge a standard flat rate charge for calls to 13 and 1300 numbers, however the cost to call a 1800 number is usually free from a fixed line.  From a mobile its generally not included in the call cap, so it can actually work out to be more expensive.  If your looking for more information on 1300 numbers, I would highly recommend this company - click here.