Telstra offering free calls and texts to disaster-hit Vanuatu
Tesltra is giving customers free calls and texts to Vanuatu, after the country was hit by two major cyclones.
Telstra customers can now make free calls and texts to loved ones in Vanuatu, after the country was battered by two cyclones and earthquakes.
All calls to Vanuatu from Telstra home phones, post-paid and pre-paid mobiles are currently free and will be until 11:59pm AEDT on Sunday March 19, 2023, Telstra said.
“For everyone with friends and family in cyclone- and earthquake-hit Vanuatu right now, the last thing you want to be thinking about is call charges to get in touch, so we’ve made mobile and landline calls and text messages free,” Telstra told customers on Facebook.
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Telecommunications infrastructure in Vanuatu has been impacted in some places, so Telstra said calls may not immediately go through due to potential damage and power issues.
Telstra said its Digicel Pacific team was on the ground to restore connectivity in impacted areas when and where it was safe to do so.
Aussie customers on pre-paid phones will need to have an active recharge on their account within its expiry period, the telco said.
Last month, Telstra also offered free calls and texts to Turkey and Syria, after the countries were devastated by earthquakes.
Vanuatu hit by two cyclones
Vanuatu is currently under a state of emergency due to the impacts of two tropical cyclones, as well as two earthquakes.
Category four Cyclone Kevin passed over capital Port Vila on Friday, bringing destructive winds and heavy rainfall. It came just two days after the country was battered by Cyclone Judy, which cut power and forced some residents to evacuate.
According to the National Disaster Management Office, almost 150,000 people (46 per cent of the population) have been impacted by the cyclones. No casualties have currently been reported.
The Australian government is providing assistance to Vanuatu, with HMAS Canberra, Australian Defence Force personnel and two Royal Australian Air Force aircraft deployed to the Pacific nation.
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