As of August 17, both Sprint and AT&T have waived all fees associated with calls and SMS sent to Spain, following the devastating terrorist attack that left an estimated 13 people dead and a further 100 injured in Barcelona. A second attempt was reportedly also prevented in connection to the same terrorist group. In light of the tragedies, both companies have taken the opportunity to be altruistic. However, customers who want to take advantage of the deal to check up on their loved ones will want to know a few important details so that they don’t incur any additional charges.
First, Sprint’s free time runs clear through tomorrow, August 19th, according to the company’s newsroom site. The company’s subsidiary carriers, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, are also included in the offer. Customers placing international calls and SMS to Spain through any of those three companies will have their fees waived, as will any roaming voice or SMS services for customers who are currently in Spain. That will almost certainly result in a high volume of calls and network congestion in the region, so customers are advised to use SMS, where possible. Customers will also need to sign in to Sprint’s website and enable international calling features for their account before attempting to make calls and are free to cancel during the effective period to avoid extra charges. On the other hand, AT&T is waiving or crediting charges incurred by customers in the U.S. for calls to Barcelona from August 17th to August 19th, with that time period ending based on the local time zone. That includes landline calls, text messages, and mobile calls from either prepaid or postpaid AT&T services.
Sprint’s CEO, Marcelo Claure, also took the opportunity to offer his condolences to victims, calling the attack a “horrific event.” Claure states on behalf of the carrier that Sprint’s hearts go out to victims and their families with an offer to make sure that those with family and friends in the region are able to stay connected to them during this difficult time. For AT&T’s part, a statement on the offer’s announcement echos the same sentiments, and that it wants to help people stay connected to family and friends within the city.