T-Mobile makes calls, texts from U.S. to Italy free in aftermath of deadly earthquake

By Christian de Looper August 24, 2016

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In response to the earthquake in Italy, T-Mobile is making it free for all customers in the U.S. to both call and text to Italy.Roaming fees for customers currently in Italy will also be waived.

The magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck central Italy early on Wednesday morning. At the time of writing, the death toll was at 73, though it’s expected to rise as first responders continue to comb through the rubble. The quake struck around 6.5 miles southeast of Norcia, and was followed by about 200 aftershocks over the next two hours, including one aftershock that rose to magnitude 5.5.

T-Mobile’s offer applies to all Simple Choice prepaid and postpaid customers, as well as customers of T-Mobile offshoots such as MetroPCS, GoSmart Mobile, and WalMart Family Mobile. The offer has started, and will run until August 28. Customers will see regular charges on their monthly bill,but those charges will be offset with corresponding credits.

“The earthquakes in Italy are devastating,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere in a statement. “Our prayers and support are with everyone involved. Please be sure to check on your loved ones.”

Of course, T-Mobile isn’t the only tech company stepping up in a time of need. Facebook quickly activated its Safety Check feature in the aftermath of the deadly quake. Safety Check was first launched in 2014, and allows people who live or are traveling in an area affected by a disaster to be marked as safe, allowing their friends and family to know that they’re OK. The feature has been activated both in natural disasters, such as the Italy earthquake, and in attacks, such as the Paris terrorist attacks in November. It was also activated for the bomb explosion in Nigeria.

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Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

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