Vodafone UK does its bit with free unlimited mobile data

In the spirit of collective endeavour Vodafone UK is offering unlimited mobile data for free to vulnerable customers and half a million others for a month.

Vodafone says is will be ‘proactively’ upgrading postpaid customers it identifies as vulnerable (which includes those who have declared disabilities and mental health issues among other things) by sending them a text message informing them of their eligibility. On top of that the first 500,000 customers who apply through the VeryMe rewards scheme via the app will also get 30 days of all-you-can eat data on the house.

“Our role in these difficult and worrying times is to keep the UK connected, even while we have to stay apart,” Vodafone UK boss Nick Jeffery. “We are offering 30 days of unlimited free data to our most vulnerable customers and the first 500,000 customers to sign up, to help ease any worries about running out of data or incurring additional charges.

“If our network capacity allows, we would love to be able to offer this to even more customers and will be monitoring the feasibility of this. In short, if we have more to give, we will. This is one of a series of measures that we are taking to help. We have already expanded our networks, given our customers free access to NHS online services and reduced the time it takes to pay small suppliers.”

Hopefully Vodafone will be able to extend the offer as, due to the lockdown, the vast majority of the country is presumably on wifi the whole time. While Vodafone will be feeling the pinch along with everyone else, these kinds of philanthropic gestures at a time of such collective challenge are welcome. The move comes the day after the country had a mass public display of gratitude towards its health service and will presumably be joined by many more.