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AT&T’s taking a strong initiative in making sure their customers can reach their family in Japan without effort or worry. Effective immediately, all calls to the land of the rising sun that was just hit with a major tsunami caused by a major earthquare are free. It’s not unlike what other telecoms did when Haiti was hit with a similar natural disaster. Read below for the full details courtesy of AT&T. [Engadget]
AT&T Offers Wireless, Wireline Billing Relief for Consumers Calling and Texting Family, Friends in Japan
DALLAS, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — AT&T* today announced it has implemented international calling and texting support efforts for U.S. residential wireless and wireline consumers trying to connect with loved ones in Japan, following last week’s tragic earthquake and tsunami.Effective beginning last week, March 11, and continuing through March 31, AT&T wireless postpaid customers will not be charged for:
- International long distance usage from the United States and Puerto Rico to Japan
- Text messages to Japan, originated from a U.S. wireless number
In addition, and also effective March 11 through March 31, residential wireline customers can seek credits for up to 60 minutes of direct dial calling to Japan:
- Upon receiving their wireline bill, customers may call AT&T to receive adjusted calling for up to 60 minutes. In other words, no charges for up to 60 minutes of call time from the United States to Japan between March 11 and March 31.
For any of the above activity, customers will either see no charges reflected on their monthly statement, or they will see a full credit applied to their statement for activity between March 11 and March 31.
“We want to help our customers connect with loved ones in Japan in anyway we can,” said Mark Collins, senior vice president, Voice and Data Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Connecting with family and friends is most important at times like this- we want to make it as easy and worry free as possible for our customers.”
Still available, AT&T wireless customers can text “redcross” to 90999 to give a $10 donation to help the Red Cross with disaster support efforts in the area. No text message fees apply.
And, TV Japan – the 24 hour Japanese news channel – is available for free through March 17 to all U-verse® TV subscribers, allowing viewers to follow the news and recovery efforts. TV Japan can be found on channel 3680.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
That’s the best news from att ever!
Fring has also offered the same, and they include free calling to Japanese mobiles as well.
As if the entire east asian circuits are not already full and over-crowded……..
It’s like offering free calls to NY area after 9-11 when people were supposed to be encouraged to stay off the phone.
That’s very generous of them. I wish people would remember stuff like this when complaining about big corporations being greedy
That’s actually kinda cool of them.
@droidftw
…i see your point, but way to be a negative nancy, sheesh
@Jeff
I’m just saying that it’s all corporate posturing. The only people who are going to be abusing it are the people not directly affected by the disaster.
Save the money and donate it to the real victims.
Free calls to japan I will make use of it. Thank you AT & T
This service isn’t working. I called many times and when I finally reach an operator they just tell me they can’t help and have no information on this service, and give me a general-info 800 number. I tried again and got past the credit card input and then it tells me the call cannot be completed.