Vodafone, BT and others offer free calls to people in Ukraine
Major mobile and broadband providers including Vodafone, Three and BT are supporting customers either in Ukraine or with friends and family located there by offering free calls, texts and data.
The move comes after Russia invaded the country on the orders of President Vladimir Putin last week, following weeks of heightened tensions in the region.
In response, Vodafone CEO Ahmed Essam said that it would waive all roaming charges for any customers currently in Ukraine, while also offering free calls and texts to those trying to get in contact with loved ones in the country.
Essam said that the free coverage would be available for “at least 30 days”.
He added: “We stand in solidarity with all Ukrainian people at this worrying time.”
Other mobile and broadband service providers have since joined Vodafone in offering assistance to customers affected by the conflict in Eastern Europe.
O2 and Virgin Media said that they would remove roaming charges and credit back any calls and texts between the UK and Ukraine from 21st February through to 6th March.
Three UK has also implemented the same measures, while BT, Plusnet and EE said that “calls, texts and data to and from the region” would be free.
TalkTalk became the latest provider to offer support on Saturday when it stated that landline and mobile calls would be free to help customers contact friends and family.
The free service could be vital as Ukraine’s local telecoms service Mediana is currently offline, though BT warned that its signals may be affected by any damage to networks and equipment in the region.