Press Releases

Budapest, October 27, 2010 11:30

It is primarily by means of its telecommunication services and devices that Magyar Telekom supports settlements and residents of Veszprém County, hit by the red mud catastrophe, while children of families affected by the disaster are invited to a sightseeing tour and to attend a play at a theater in Budapest..

Magyar Telekom's management and personnel have been deeply moved by the tragic red mud flood that occurred on October 04. The Company considers it especially important that it help victims as soon as possible, as it did at the time of the flooding that hit Borsod County in the spring and during its aftermath. As far as our capabilities, as well as the range of telecommunication and IT devices at our disposal allow, we join the concerted recovery effort and assist those in need of assistance. The help we have offered has already partially reached the victims through the local municipalities.

Magyar Telekom's Business Services Business Unit (T-Systems) has elaborated an aid package that can provide efficient support to the experts working on disaster recovery, as well some relief to the families in these extremely difficult times.

We have provided the local municipality of Kolontár and the civil defense forces of Ajka with mobile phones and mobile-internet-capable notebooks for the purpose of managing their communications. The relevant internet and phone services are provided free-of-charge for a period of 3 months. Families who were forced to leave their homes have been given T-Mobile Domino packages to enable them to keep in contact with their beloved ones and the authorities in charge of keeping track of the developments affecting their homes.

In addition to assisting their communication needs, BBU offered further help to the families in need. Children, whose travel and catering are provided by the Company, are invited to attend a play ("A bug's tale") performed by KFKI's Chamber Ballet at Thália Theater, and to participate in a sightseeing tour in Budapest. We have also offered those in need to furnish their rooms and equip their kitchens with furniture and devices from Magyar Telekom's holiday homes.

Hungary's leading mobile brand, T-Mobile provided mobile phones and half-year free-of-charge service to the Federation of Free Radios Hungary, which resolved on the day after the disaster hit that in cooperation with 30 radio stations, it shall broadcast a temporary program in the region, with the primary purpose of providing direct, prompt and reliable information to local residents.

T-Mobile has also assisted the effort of informing the public by sending out SMS messages to all of its customers about the establishment of the Hungarian Relief Fund, founded by the Ministry of National Development, as well as the donation account number.

Magyar Telekom has joined forces with other operators, and put in place, right upon the catastrophe, the 1749 number, through which donations from the public are collected in cooperation with the Red Cross for the benefit of victims of the disaster in a way that the related costs are covered by the Company. T-Home and T-Mobile has also taken part in running the 1752 National Aid Line.

In the framework of its Matching Donations Program, the leading Hungarian telecommunication provider matches donations made by its employees, as it did in case of donations made to the spring flood victims, and distributes the amounts collected with help from the Red Cross.