Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

To help customers contact relatives and loved ones in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Verizon and AT&T announced that making calls to Japan will be free for most wireless and residential customers for a limited time .

Verizon Wireless post-paid customers will receive free calling to Japan from March 11 through April 10. Post-paid customers are those who receive a monthly bill from the company. In addition, Verizon Wireless post-paid customers in the U.S. will receive free text and multimedia messaging to Japan for the same time period.

All calls made from a Verizon residential landline to Japan will be rated at $0.00 per minute, from March 11 through April 10. Customers with Verizon World Plan (300, 500 or unlimited minutes of long-distance calling) can call Japan without using any minutes from their time-allotment blocks.

Verizon has also implemented a mobile giving program for customers who wish to contribute to relief efforts in Japan. Customers can make a $10 donation by sending a text message and may choose from 10 organizations aiding those in need in Japan.

ADRA Relief: text SUPPORT to 85944

American Red Cross Relief: text REDCROSS to 90999

Convoy of Hope: text TSUNAMI or SUNAMI to 50555

GlobalGiving: text JAPAN to 50555

International Medical Corps: text MED to 80888

Mercy Corps: text MERCY to 25383

Salvation Army: text JAPAN to 80888

Save the Children Federation, Inc.: text JAPAN or TSUNAMI to 20222

World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals: text WAVE to 50555

World Vision, Inc.: text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222

Verizon waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief, and 100% of each $10 donation goes to the relief organization. For more details, contact Verizon directly.

AT&T also announced that it has implemented international calling and texting support efforts for U.S. residential wireless and wireline consumers trying to connect with loved ones in Japan, following last week's earthquake and tsunami.

Effective beginning last week, March 11, and continuing through March 31, AT&T wireless postpaid customers will not be charged for international long distance usage from the United States and Puerto Rico to Japan, or text messages to Japan, originated from a U.S. wireless number.

In addition, and also effective March 11 through March 31, residential wireline customers can seek credits for up to 60 minutes of direct dial calling to Japan:

Upon receiving their wireline bill, customers may call AT&T to receive adjusted calling for up to 60 minutes. In other words, no charges for up to 60 minutes of call time from the United States to Japan between March 11 and March 31.

For any of the above activity, customers will either see no charges reflected on their monthly statement, or they will see a full credit applied to their statement for activity between March 11 and March 31.

Still available, AT&T wireless customers can text "redcross" to 90999 to give a $10 donation to help the Red Cross with disaster support efforts in the area. No text message fees apply.