Australian telecommunications company pays phone bills for volunteer firefighters

"We want to do this to show our thanks to firefighters for their efforts in helping keep communities safe."

141
SOURCENationofChange
Image Credit: Matthew Abbott/New York Times

As bushfires continue to rage through Australia since September, an Australian telecommunications company is doing what it can to thank the volunteer firefighters and offer some relief to customers in the affected areas. Telstra announced they will endure the costs of the volunteer firefighters’ phone bills for December and January.

As the fires continue to devastate much of eastern Australia, telecommunication infrastructure was disabled in NSW and Victoria. Therefore, customers of Telstra affected by the bushfires will receive the following:

—Free use of Telstra public pay phones in the affected areas

—Free use of Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas

—Free call diversion from an affected fixed home or business phone service to another fixed or mobile service of the customer’s choice, regardless of the carrier

—Customers who use the free call diversion to divert their affected fixed home or business phone to their Telstra mobile service can also make local and STD calls on their mobile at fixed-line rates, in accordance with their selected plan (limited to one designated Telstra mobile per affected household or business).

—Affected Telstra mobile customers who do not have a Telstra home phone can receive a one-off credit to the value of $100 including GST (limited to one mobile phone per Telstra mobile account).

Outlined by True Activist

Volunteer firefighters can take advantage of this offer by calling 12 33 03 in order to register.

“Today we’re doing our part to thank our volunteer firefighters by providing them with free mobile bills over December and January,” Andy Penn, Telstra chief, said. “We want to do this to show our thanks to firefighters for their efforts in helping keep communities safe… We’ve all witnessed the confronting scenes of bushfires around the country and awed at the heroic volunteers battling the blazes.”


FALL FUNDRAISER

If you liked this article, please donate $5 to keep NationofChange online through November.

COMMENTS