US Carriers Waive Fees for Customers Who Need to Call Ukraine

This story is part of War in Ukraine, CNET’s coverage of events there and of the wider effects on the world.

All four major US carriers are making it less expensive for you to communicate with relatives and friends in Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion this week.

T-Mobile is waiving international long-distance and international roaming charges for calls and text messaging made to and from US and Ukraine, the mobile carrier said Thursday. This weeklong waiver will be available to T-Mobile and Sprint postpaid and prepaid consumer and business customers from Feb. 24 to March 3. It also includes calls made within Ukraine to local numbers to cover roaming customers in Ukraine, T-Mobile said.

Verizon will waive charges for calls from its postpaid consumer and business wireless customers and residential landline customers to and from Ukraine from Feb. 25 to March 10, the carrier said Friday. Verizon also said it’s waiving voice and text roaming charges for customers in Ukraine. 

AT&T is also offering unlimited long-distance calling from the US to Ukraine to all consumer and business postpaid and prepaid wireless customers, and consumer VoIP and landline customers from Feb. 26 to March 7, the company said Friday. US Cellular, the country’s fourth-largest mobile carrier, is offering customers free calls to Ukraine from the US from Feb. 25 to March 31, the company said Friday.

Mobile carriers in other parts of the world are also taking steps to support those affected by Russia’s attack. Vodafone, one of the largest carriers in Europe, is offering free roaming for any of its customers who remain in Ukraine starting Friday and “over the next five days,” the company said Friday. Calls and text messages for Vodafone customers trying to get in touch with friends and relatives in Ukraine will be free, the company said. Deutsche Telekom, another large European carrier, is also making calls and text messages to Ukraine free of charge, according to Reuters. Other mobile providers in the UK, including BT and O2, also said they will waive fees for calls and texts to Ukraine.

This isn’t the first time carriers have mobilized to help customers during a crisis. At the onset of the pandemic, when millions of people suddenly had to start working or attending school from home, internet providers including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile extended data caps.