Connecting people in the time of Covid-19

Europe is being hit hard by coronavirus. Staying home and avoiding physical contact is the single most important thing we can do, today, to help our communities. As no therapy and no vaccine are available yet, we must stay in, avoid spreading the virus and protect fellow citizens, especially the elderly and those with compromised immunity.

As we do so, telecom operators are mobilising resources across the most affected countries. Public services, business continuity and social interactions must continue online and via phone, as we work to keep our societies and economies strong. We gathered here some best practices and some practical examples of how telecom companies have mobilised. We have also included a readers’ digest on the top news on tech and telecoms in the time of Covid-19.

We hope this will prove useful to mobilise, inspire, connect.

Telecom operators, beyond ensuring strong connectivity for all and resilient emergency services, are also taking action in the following fields:

• Provide extended, unlimited or free data, calls and/or entertainment packages to customers
• Support small and big businesses with dedicated services such as cloud, teleconference and videoconference, including free trials
• Help public authorities track the outbreak through use of anonymised and aggregated network data
• Steer e-learning platforms to support distance learning for affected students 
• Activate instant phone and online fundraising campaigns for hospitals

• Special actions: Proximus in Belgium; Vivacom in Bulgaria; TIM in Italy; Orange in France; Deutsche Telekom in Germany; KPN in the Netherlands; Telia in Sweden and Finland; Post in Luxembourg; Telefonica in Spain; Altice Portugal in Portugal; T-Mobile in Czech Republic, Cosmote in Greece, Slovak Telekom in Slovakia; Hrvatski Telekom in Croatia; BT in the UK; Magyar Telekom in Hungary; Makedonski in North Macedonia; T-Mobile Poland in Poland; Telekom Romania in Romania; in the US, ATT, Verizon and T-Mobile.
• Data for outbreak control: Proximus; Telefonica; A1; and BT.

Coronavirus is forcing people to work from home. Will it break the internet?

POLITICO – 18 MARCH 2020