Company Provides Much-Needed Relief Efforts and Strives to Keep the Entire Joplin Community as well as Customers Connected
May. 24, 2011
Overland Park, Kansas,and Joplin, Missouri –May 24,2011 – In the wake of the storms that devastated Joplin, Missouri, earlier this week, T-Mobile USA, Inc. has announced efforts to keep customers, and anybody else in the area who has been affected, connected to loved ones, as well as to provide relief to those directly impacted by the disaster. Despite widespread power outages in the area, T-Mobile voice and data services remain available for customers in the affected areas.
The T-Mobile network is up and running. Since commercial power outages have been widespread, T-Mobile has backup generators and additional fuel in place and ready to continue powering the network, if needed. The company's critical network operations centers have backup and redundancy plans in place, and rapid response engineering teams are focused on keeping service up and running for T-Mobile customers.
"As soon as the storms had left the area, T-Mobile engineers and technicians were onsite to restore crucial communications for our customers," said Jim Mills, vice president and general manager, Great Plains Region, T-Mobile USA. "Our engineering department has deployed a generator at the tent for the Convoy of Hope, to support charging phones and lights. In addition, employees from our Call Center in Springfield, Missouri, are onsite with additional equipment and other necessities such as flashlights and batteries. Most importantly, we have also set up a remote calling center in the tent location for people to use T-Mobile phones to contact loved ones. T-Mobile is supplying the phones to be used at the tent location, and all calls on these phones will be free of charge."
In addition, T-Mobile has partnered with and has set up a tent (at 2601 Indiana Avenue in Joplin) with the Convoy of Hope, an organization that is providing support for those in need. T-Mobile is providing large coolers of ice and water bottles for both volunteers and residents of Joplin.
In Joplin, T-Mobile has made available for use:
- Active mobile devices for Joplin residents to make calls
- Power strips, chargers for all T-Mobile handsets, and car chargers
- Tarps, bungee cords and lights for nighttime use at the T-Mobile-Convoy of Hope tent
- Battery-powered lanterns
T-Mobile Does Not Charge for Text Messages Sent to Mobile Giving Campaigns
T-Mobile customers who are interested in helping can text "REDCROSS" to "90999". Please follow the instructions so that your donation of $10 will be given to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief to help with relief efforts. Your donation will be charged to your T-Mobile phone bill, and 100 percent of this donation goes directly to the Red Cross. In addition, T-Mobile customers can text CONVOY to 50555 to give $10 to Convoy of Hope and/or text JOPLIN to 864833 to give to the United Way-Heart of Missouri. T-Mobile does not charge for text messages sent to mobile giving campaigns, and customers who do not have a messaging plan will not be charged, nor will the text messages be deducted from messaging plans.
Lindsay Morio
Relaciones con los medios de T-Mobile USA
425-383-4002
Acerca de T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the first quarter of 2011, approximately 128 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.6 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+/HSPA+42. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.
For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.