The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has launched a drive, asking to make '1800' calls free for mobile phone users.

Landline calls to “1800” can be made for free, but mobile phone users generally have to pay at a per-minute rate for making calls to 1800 services.

13 or 1300 services, which are also called local-rate services, generally charged at a fixed local call rate from landlines; however, these services are generally charged at a per minute rate from mobiles phones.

ACCAN is of the view that calls to 1800 and 13 services should be charged the same whether they the consumers make calls from mobiles phones or landlines.

ACCAN has started campaigning for the cause as the usage of mobile phones is on the increase and the landline phone usage is declining day by day.

Speaking on the topic, ACCAN chief executive Teresa Corbin said, "There is tremendous confusion among consumers as to how much these calls actually cost, because people wrongly assume that all calls to 1800 numbers are free.”

ACCAN has also made numerous recommendations, such as changes should be made to billing processes by the telecommunication firms or the introduction of a new number range exclusively for mobile phones.