Mobile networks provide free calls and data
Vodafone
Citizens Advice Central Dorset are now ready to start distributing Vodafone SIM Cards. To apply for one, please contact Dorset Council 01305 221000. These will be Pay as You Go SIMs that will each come with 20GB data each month plus unlimited calls and texts for a period of six months (activated on use). Conditions for application:
Available to Ukrainian Refugees under the Ukrainian Families Visa or the Homes for Ukraine schemes.
At this stage, one SIM per family. This will be kept under review and may change if further cards are supplied.
A local Dorset Councillor, Carole Jones has some Vodafone SIM cards to distribute. Call Carole on 01258472497.
Wavelength
Free Vodafone sim cards are also available for Ukrainians through Wavelength here
Ellie Dodd reports, “Wavelength were brilliant - replied to my email almost immediately, and the SIMS arrived the following morning!”
In addition Vodafone are working with Refugease to distribute SIM cards see the link here.
Vodafone has been helping the people of Ukraine in a number of ways. In the UK, Vodafone has made all calls and texts to and from Ukraine free of charge for UK customers. Vodafone is also offering free connectivity to 200,000 refugees arriving in the UK from Ukraine as part of the company’s everyone.connected campaign, and has launched Tech Appeal for refugees with a donation of 3,000 smartphones (connectivity included) and 1,000 portable power banks. Details of this support are here. Vodafone is also match-funding donations made through the British Red Cross charity to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. You can donate any amount using this tracked link, or £10 by texting VODAFONE to 70141*. Every donation will be automatically match funded up to £250,000 and 100% of donations will go to the appeal.
Three
From Three, any incoming refugees from the country will be able to visit any of Three’s 311 UK stores to get a free 30-day Pay As You Go SIM card preloaded with unlimited domestic calls and texts, as well as unlimited data for use within the UK. Of course, many refugees may want to call friends and family who are still in Ukraine, and Three has catered for that too, as the network also offers free calls and texts from the UK to Ukraine for all Three customers. Technically you will be charged for these, but the charge will automatically be credited back to your account. Details of their support are here.
Tescomobile
Now Tescomobile have announced that they too will provide free calls for UK customers calling the Ukraine from the UK. This update is here. This support goes alongside the brilliant response from Tesco that is detailed here.
