Coronavirus Australia: Vodafone, Optus announce no fees for healthcare workers

Two of Australia’s biggest telcos have announced new measures for healthcare workers on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus.

Two of the country’s biggest telcos have stepped up their assistance for the “heroes” on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Vodafone and Optus are waiving mobile access charges for customers who are registered health professionals for two and three months respectively.

Telstra says healthcare workers in its customer base are already receiving assistance through earlier measures announced by the telco.

“We have the utmost respect for our frontline medical teams and acknowledge they’re doing phenomenal work under difficult conditions,” Telstra told news.com.au on Friday morning.

Telstra and other telcos have rolled out initiatives to help customers such as providing unlimited data for home broadband and small business customers (many plans already include unlimited data), and adding extra data for postpaid mobile customers.

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Australian telcos are offering a range of initiatives to healthcare workers. Picture: Ina Fassbender / AFP

Vodafone and Optus have rolled out other changes for all customers, but have gone the step further and suspended the mobile access fees for health care workers.

The mobile access fees are the part of your monthly bill that relates to how you actually use the network, however it doesn’t include handset costs.

What this means is that if you’re a healthcare worker on Vodafone or Optus you only have to pay for the portion of your bill that pays for your phone, if you have bought a phone on a plan.

If you’re a bring-your-own-device postpaid customer you shouldn’t be paying anything.

Here’s is what is on offer.

VODAFONE

Vodafone Australia boss Iñaki Berroeta said healthcare workers don’t need to worry about disconnections.

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For two months, Vodafone will offer registered health practitioners a two-month credit on their postpaid access fee or their prepaid recharge.

The telco is still finalising how healthcare workers apply for this but has announced a moratorium on any action relating to unpaid bills until at least the end of April.

“That means frontline healthcare workers can get on with the vital work they’re doing and be assured we’ll keep them connected,” Vodafone CEO Iñaki Berroeta said.

He said the offer is among “a number of additional initiatives” to “support those who need it most at this time”.

OPTUS

Newly appointed Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin.

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Optus is giving healthcare workers three months off their fees, but only for postpaid mobile access charges. Pre-paid customers aren’t included and device costs still need to be paid, if you have them.

“These are trying times and we recognise that our health workers are putting themselves on the frontline day in day out to protect and help Australians during this pandemic, and we want to say thank you,” new Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said.

“We are proud to recognise and support the heroes on the frontline who are supporting us,” she added.

Customers who are facing financial difficulties, including small businesses, are also being offered the choice of putting their charges on hold for up to three months, among other previously announced initiatives.

The digital sign-up to take Optus up on the offer will begin next week, and you’ll have until the end of the month.

The offers are only available to registered health care workers who are existing customers of Vodafone or Optus.

TELSTRA

Telstra has pledged to give its consumer and small business broadband customers unlimited data until the end of April.

Postpaid mobile and mobile broadband customers can get an extra 25GB of data to use for 30 days.

Prepaid customers on Max, Extra, Plus, Freedom Anytime and Freedom Unlimited plans can get an extra 10GB for 28 days if they have an active recharge more than $40.

Other prepaid customers can take advantage of the same offer and have 30 days to use the data.

Eligible pensioners on a home phone plan can make unlimited local, national and 13/1300 calls.

Calls to mobile phones are also free within Australia.