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Deutsche Telekom Replaces SIM Cards for Ukrainian Refugees With Prepaid Tariff

Deutsche Telekom Replaces SIM Cards for Ukrainian Refugees With Prepaid Tariff

Deutsche Telekom is replacing the SIM cards it provided to Ukrainian refugees with the new MagentaMobil Prepaid Ukraine tariff. DT distributed free SIM cards to refugees in the emergency situation after the start of the war in late February. The SIM cards will work until 30 June, and users will be notified online and invited to switch to the new tariff in mid-June.

Customers will be able to use the new prepaid tariff free of charge for four weeks. The package includes unlimited calls and texts to all German networks and 10 GB of data that can be used in Germany and Europe. The MagentaMobil Prepaid Ukraine offers a one-off 100 GB free data package upon joining.

The package also includes 300 free minutes to call Ukraine for every four weeks. Customers will pay €0.22 (US $0.24) per minute and €0.07 (US $0.08) per text once they have used up the included minutes and SMS for communicating with Ukraine. New customers in Ukraine can subscribe to the MagentaMobil Prepaid tariff for €9.95 (US $10.64) per four weeks from 10 June.

Tarifica’s Take

As large numbers of Ukrainian war refugees came to Germany, Deutsche Telekom, in an act of charity and public service, offered free SIM cards to the new arrivals. This allowed the refugees to stay in touch with family and friends still in Ukraine, as well as to get started in their new lives in Germany.

Now that many of these refugees plan to remain in Germany long-term, they will need long-term mobile service. For that, they will need to pay, but given that their economic lives are still fragile, mobile services will have to be low-priced. DT is rising to the occasion with the offer to convert the free SIM subscriptions into paid subscription, with some features that are both generous and specifically tailored to the needs of Ukrainian refugees.

The initial period of four weeks will be offered free, and there will be large amounts of free data. Payment for services consumed after those are used up will be on a prepaid basis, which is appropriate for those in a state of economic uncertainty. Large amounts of free minutes to Ukraine will be much appreciated, and the per-minute and per-text rates after that are quite low.

This MagentaMobil prepaid package will not only help Ukrainian refugees adjust to life in Germany, but it will also enable DT to cultivate a new group of subscribers that may end up paying dividends for the operator in the future. In addition, the operator’s offer of services for users within Ukraine enables it to extend its footprint outside Germany.