Major Carriers Waive International Charges for Calls, Texts to and From Ukraine

Major U.S. carriers began allowing free calls and texts, to and from Ukraine, after Russia's invasion of the country last week. Details vary. Through Thursday, T-Mobile is waiving international long-distance and international roaming charges for calls and SMS made between the U.S. and Ukraine for T-Mobile and Sprint postpaid and prepaid consumer and business customers, the carrier said: “This includes calls made within Ukraine to local numbers to cover roaming customers in Ukraine.” On Saturday, T-Mobile added calls and texts to and from the U.S. and Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. AT&T is offering consumer and business customers unlimited long-distance calling from the U.S. to Ukraine, through Monday. “This offer is valid for all consumer and business AT&T Postpaid & PREPAID wireless customers, and consumer VoIP and landline customers,” the carrier said: “Unlimited texts to this region are standard with Mobile Share and Unlimited Texting plans.” Verizon is waiving charges for calls from postpaid consumer and business wireless customers and residential landlines to and from Ukraine, through March 10. The company is waiving voice and text roaming charges for customers in Ukraine. UScellular said customers can make outbound calls to Ukraine without paying international dialing rates through the end of March: “Postpaid customers will have charges automatically waived. Prepaid customers whose plans allow for international dialing can call customer service … or *611 from their mobile phone to receive credits for applicable calls.”