Verizon and AT&T are offering unlimited data to customers in the southern United States as recovery efforts following Hurricane Matthew continue.
Though all four carriers – and many of their prepaid brands – have offered to waive fees on calls and texts to and from the impacted area, Verizon and AT&T extended their relief efforts to include unlimited data with no overages for postpaid customers in certain areas.
AT&T said customers in many counties across Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina will have overage-free access to talk, text and data through October 11. The carrier also extended its payment date for GoPhone customers through Oct. 11 and noted Cricket would not suspend customers for late payments through October 11.
Verizon on Friday also said it would take care of any charges from talk, text or data for customers in qualified areas of Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina through October 11.
The moves marked an extension of earlier relief efforts announced by the carriers in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival. Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon all offered free calling and texting to areas impacted by the storm, including the Caribbean region.
Ahead of the storm, the carriers deployed backup generators, cells on wheels and fuel tanks to the expected impact areas to help maintain connectivity in the wake of the storm.
After the storm passed, Sprint also offered customers in Florida a place to charge their phones.
In the wake of the storm, the carriers also instituted Text-To-Donate campaigns to benefit the Red Cross and others. Customers across AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint can donate to the Red Cross in $10 increments by texting MATTHEW to 90999, the carriers said. T-Mobile is also offering texting options to donate to GlobalGiving, Save the Children and World Vision. Sprint is also offering a text option to donate to GlobalGiving.
After devastating Haiti and other islands in the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew slammed into the Southeast over the weekend. The storm first hit the United States in Florida as a category 4 hurricane and proceeded up the east coast to hit South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Though it weakened as it progressed, Hurricane Matthew’s winds and rain caused significant damage, power outages and flooding along the way.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said Monday at least ten people were killed in his state alone, bringing the U.S. death toll to at least 21 individuals, the Washington Post reported.