Telstra to extend COVID-19 support package

Telstra will extend its coronavirus support package as ongoing uncertainty continues to loom over the economy.

Telstra customers will also be able to downsize plans if they can no longer afford their existing contract. Picture: AAP

Telstra will extend its coronavirus support package until at least the end of the financial year, as ongoing uncertainty continues to loom over the economy.

Australia’s largest telco provider has lengthened its COVID-19 assistance measures in an attempt to ease cost pressures placed upon customers and small businesses.

The company’s bill assistance hub will provide Telstra users access to an array of support measures, including data add-ons, claims for financial hardship and waiving of late fee payments.

Telstra group executive of consumer and small business, Michael Ackland said over two million customers had already accessed support offers through the program.

“As things change we need to adapt and recognise we’re all in this for the long haul,” Mr Ackland said.

“We all have a continued responsibility to do what we can to help people through this period and our next step is to extend our customer support measures for another few months.”

The latest support measures follows the collaborative effort between all five major telecommunication providers in attempting ease the country’s already stretched network infrastructure.

The assistance measures will provide unlimited data at no additional cost to individual and small business broadband customers, with ADSL, NBN and cable connection services eligible.

Small businesses will also have the option of suspending fixed services until the need for reinstatement, while all Telstra customers have the ability to suspend any service for up to 90 days.

An extra 25 gigabytes of data will be available to mobile and handheld phone postpaid customers for the period of 30 days.

Australians who hold a healthcare card will be eligible for a $30 per month mobile offer, a new addition to the measures announced last week to assist people on the Jobseeker benefit scheme.

Pensioners with a Telstra home phone plan will be able to make unlimited local, national 13/1300 and mobile calls, as part of the support package.

Telstra customers will also be able to downsize plans if they can no longer afford their existing contract.

Mr Ackland said the measures will ensure Australians will be able to stay connected throughout the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

“We’re making it as easy as possible for customers to access our digital self-serve billing options to cater for any scenario they may be in, including payment extensions, queries and plan changes,” Mr Ackland said.

“If consumer and small business customers are unable to keep up with their bills, they can now make changes to assist them with making payments and to prevent them from having their service disconnected.”

Telstra shares rose 0.6 per cent on Tuesday to $3.16, undershooting a 1.9 per cent lift in the broader S&P/ASX 200 Index.