The end of Telstra Wholesale CTS: What now for Australian service providers?

Telstra Wholesale’s recent decision to exit their Call Termination Service – Wholesale CTS – has prompted many questions from Australian and international service providers.  

To help service providers navigate this change, we’ve prepared a Wholesale CTS information page and will address some of the most frequently asked questions below.  

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What is happening?

Telstra Wholesale recently announced that it will begin phasing out its Wholesale CTS product.  

The Wholesale CTS offering enables telecom providers to leverage the Telstra Wholesale network to deliver calling services in Australia.

The news will come as a shock to some. Many retail service providers, such as MVNOs, MSPs and unified communication providers, rely on wholesale voice carriage to host their customers’ phone numbers, as well as route and terminate their customers’ calls.

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When is Telstra Wholesale exiting CTS?

Affected providers should urgently plan to migrate their wholesale voice services. Telstra Wholesale has provided a preliminary timeline (below).

From September 30, 2025, it will no longer be possible to connect new services (‘stop sell date’). Wholesale CTS will be fully exited by September 30, 2026 (‘national exit date’).

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Why is Telstra Wholesale exiting the CTS product?

Telstra Wholesale has not given a reason for its decision to discontinue Wholesale CTS. Nor have they come to market with an alternative, future-proof product.

By contrast, Symbio is positioned at the forefront of modern communication technology. We remain committed to the Australian voice market and will continue to advocate and innovate to empower communication providers, big and small.  

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Are there alternative products available?

Telstra Wholesale do not offer a direct replacement for Wholesale CTS.  

Existing customers who rely on the CTS product will need to explore suitable replacements before the stop sell date.

As an alternative to Telstra Wholesale CTS, service providers should explore Australian VoIP Carriers.  

When evaluating carrier options, providers should consider: voice network coverage, security features, ease of porting and number hosting, as well as the extent of customer support.  

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Free number porting – Symbio special offer

Porting fees and charges can impose a huge upfront cost on service providers. That’s why we’re making it easy – and free – to move your Telstra Wholesale voice services to Symbio.

For a limited time, we will waive standard porting charges for Australian geographic numbers ported-in to the Symbio network from Telstra (read the full T&Cs).

To claim this offer, speak with your Symbio account manager or contact us online.  

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