Optus: free mobiles for bushfire survivors

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Dan Warne09 February 2009, 4:27 PM

Optus says it is giving out free prepaid mobile handsets loaded with $1,000 in calling credits to stranded bushfire survivors who were Optus customers.


The free mobiles and calling credits will be available to bushfire survivors whose Optus home or mobile service has been disrupted.

The number two telco will also "zero-bill" existing customers' accounts for three months if their house or business has been destroyed in the fires.

"We extend our sympathy to all the people across Victoria," an Optus spokesperson told APC. "The full extent of damage to the Optus facilities is still to be determined due to ongoing fires across Victoria. We are working with the relevant authorities to ensure quick and safe access to restore services to our customers."

"Our technicians are working on-site to restore mobile services that have been affected in Victoira. We have generators there and temporary mobile base stations. The majority of mobile network facilities that have been affected are because of loss of power or fire damage.

"We have 16 mobile towers still affected in Kinglake, Marysville, the Alexandria area and Gippsland. We've boosted our mobile capacity in Whittlesea, as that's where a key emergency relief centre has been set up and where many bushfire survivors have been relocated to.

"We have a satellite cell on wheels on its way to Alexandria which we hope to have operational at 8pm tonight."

Customers who want to apply for the three months of zero-billing or the free mobile handset with $1000 credit should call Optus customer service on 1300 300 937.

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Jayec (User):

Amount of credit in the byline differs from the article ;-)

09 February 2009, 4:50 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting Jayec:
Amount of credit in the byline differs from the article

Regardless of which applies it is a generous gesture from Optus extended to people now very much in need.


09 February 2009, 5:01 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Administrator):

Sorry... it's $1000, not $100. Fixed now.

09 February 2009, 6:13 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Penguin (Advanced member):

Quoting Dan Warne:
Customers who want to apply for the three months of zero-billing or the free mobile handset with $1000 credit should call Optus customer service on 1300 300 937.


How are they going to do that if they don't have access to a phone?


09 February 2009, 8:56 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Administrator):

Good point, but it's not really that hard to get access to someone's phone is it. They have phones at the emergency relief centres, for example.

09 February 2009, 10:49 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo (User):

So Optus is going to stop billing people when they don't use their service, because their house has burnt down? People please, this is an act of common sense more than charity. Why should people pay Optus for burnt telephone line rental? Another moment of irony is that all the houses in the bush will probably need Telstra's NextG for decent coverage, so this might play right into Telstra's hands.


10 February 2009, 9:42 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Dan Warne (Administrator):

It covers mobile costs as well. You could run up pretty hefty mobile bills trying to put your life back together.

10 February 2009, 12:19 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting McBanjo:
So Optus is going to stop billing people when they don't use their service, because their house has burnt down?



When did you require a dwelling to use a mobile phone?





Quoting McBanjo:
People please, this is an act of common sense more than charity.



It is always good public sense to create good will within the community, that in no way lessens the charity of this act. How many new phones and free call have you given to those who have lost everything?





Quoting McBanjo:
Why should people pay Optus for burnt telephone line rental?



The fires were horrific but I don't think they burnt any mobile telephone lines. What they did do is take out a lot of the telco infrastructure. Infrastructure which the Telcos will have to pay to reinstate.





Quoting McBanjo:
Another moment of irony is that all the houses in the bush will probably need Telstra's NextG for decent coverage



Why the Optus coverage in those areas was good before the fires and will no doubt return to that level. The network has weathered substantial damage surprisingly well.





Quoting McBanjo:
so this might play right into Telstra's hands.



How? By playing into the hands of those who refuse charity? Or by impressing miserables souls why thrive on misinformation?



You have to be a pretty miserable individual to find fault in any gesture that goes a tiny way toward helping those who have been so deeply affected.

10 February 2009, 4:09 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

forum foibles strike again

10 February 2009, 4:09 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

NetR@nger (User):

kudos to optus for that,i suppose that they have been around long enough now to be considered a "local".I have been through a firestorm myself and had to bury myself in a hand dug hole,its a haunting memory that is with me forever.

10 February 2009, 10:36 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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