Unlimited access to emergency services websites for mobile customers

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone will ensure customers in bushfire affected areas won’t receive extra fees or slower coverage for making additional calls and using more data when accessing emergency information websites.

The initiative is in response to a large number of customers receiving notifications that they were approaching their mobile data limits due to increased internet usage.

Some of the critical websites customers will not incur costs for accessing include:

• NSW Rural Fire Service
• NSW Office of Emergency Management
• Bureau of Meteorology
• Federal Government Disaster Assistance
• ABC News
• The Red Cross

Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello thanked Telstra, Optus and Vodafone for acting so quickly to put these arrangements in place.

“This initiative will provide reassurance to those in bushfire affected areas who are able to check emergency service websites and apps via their mobile as many times as they need to,” Mr Dominello said.

Details of assistance measures available to affected communities can be found on the NSW Emergency Management and Service NSW websites.