Telstra has revealed new figures showing more Australians make calls on Fathers Day compared to Mothers Day. This may be because Dad is out at the footy, but we are happy to let Dads think they have won the popularity contest.

Telstra Consumer Executive Director, Ms Jenny Young, said Telstra expected more call records to be broken this Sunday as fathers across Australia would be more likely to get a mobile or video call from a loved one.

“We’ve compared the number of voice and video calls, text and picture messages for mums and dads, and found not only are Australians calling their parents in record numbers each year, but Father’s Day clearly outperforms Mother’s Day,” Ms Young said.

“There were more than 9.5 million mobile calls made last Fathers Day, more than 40 per cent more than were made on Mother’s Day, and this year we’re expecting more than 10 million.

“Video calling and sending pictures continues to grow with MMS more than doubling this year over last Mothers Day, but we expect this to be outdone by more than 20 per cent for our dads.

“Last Fathers Day, more than 16 million text messages were sent on Telstra’s networks, which was nearly a million more than for Mothers Day, and this year we’re expecting more than 25 million text messages to be sent to dads across Australia,” Ms Young said.

How Telstra can help you say "Happy Fathers Day"

In addition to video and voice calling and texting, Telstra has a range of products and services to help say “thanks Dad” on Fathers Day.

• For this Fathers Day, Telstra is offering gadgets such as the Sony Ericsson w760 (shop.telstra.com), for $0 upfront on a $60 phone plan for 24 months, with a bonus Sony Ericsson Car Kit including windshield mount, car holder and charger. Dads can also get live scores and full match replays with an AFL action pack on a $1.95 day pass on compatible handsets. Simply call 131 800 or visit a local Telstra store.
 
• Dads who love their sport can become fans of the range of content available through their compatible Next G™ mobile (www.telstra.com.au). They can get the latest sports news and scores, results and stats from AFL, NRL and V8 Supercars, and live horse racing from Victoria and Sydney.
 
• BigPond also has BigPond Sports Weekend™ (bigpondsport.com), a fast-paced, continuous nine-hour sports program every Saturday and Sunday. For any of these great options for dads, all they need to do is press the BigPond button on their compatible Next G™ mobile or visit BigPond (www.bigpond.com).