Skype has finally released local Skype-in numbers for Australia. It’s a 3month or 12 month subscription (AUS$16 or AUS$50) and there’s a whole bunch of numbers to pick from. Good to see we haven’t been forgotten down here!.

The only downside is that all the NSW/ACT numbers are 02 8205 (Sydney Centre) or 02 8011 (Ultimo) prefixed which means that unless the people who’ll be calling you live in within 50km of Sydney, they’ll be paying STD rates. Oh well, at least it’s better than paying international rates to a Skype-in number. It’s the same for the other regional options, the WA, SA & NT group have either 08 9467 (Perth) or 08 8121 (Adelaide) to pick from (No Darwin option at all) and the Vic/Tas group are all 03 9018 (Melbourne) prefixed. Queensland users have a grouping all to themselves, they’re all 07 3102 (Brisbane) prefixed. Hopefully as time passes we’ll get more like their options in the US and be able to pick from a list of area codes.

None the less, this is a good development, one more reason to dump Telstra!