Telecom giants scrap roaming and international fees for fleeing Ukrainians
More than a dozen telecom providers have shown their support for the Ukrainian people by offering free international calls and scrapping roaming fees, according to European telecoms lobbying group.
European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association (ETNO) said an internal survey showed at least 13 of its members have taken measures to help fleeing Ukrainians after Russia’s invasion of the country, while more are expected to do the same in the coming days.
Big names that have taken this step include the likes of Orange, Vodafone and Telefonica, as understood by Reuters.
Indeed, Nick Reed, chief exec of Vodafone, came out in support for the Ukrainian people whilst speaking at the MWC trade show earlier today:“Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the war.”
“With the backdrop of the Ukraine war, it’s a conference like this that reminds me of the importance of global sectors and communities like ours working together to advance society,” Reed added.
At the same conference, Telefonica chief Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete Lopez was reported as stating: “This is not a time for war.”
“This is not a time for confrontation, nor for conflict. This is time for collaboration”, he said.
On Monday, the UN said that over 500,000 Ukrainians had entered Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova since the Russian invasion.
According to the UN, Poland has taken in over 280,000 refugees, with a further 50,000 arriving every day.