The current situation in Ukraine is very distressing and leaves no one indifferent. This is why Proximus wishes to support the Ukrainian people through various new solidarity initiatives.
Since the beginning of the war, Proximus has made mobile and landline calls, as well as text messages, to and from Ukraine free of charge for its customers. This will be the case until the end of March. Customers who are in Ukraine (roaming) can also communicate free of charge. In addition, Proximus supports NGOs in their connectivity needs and offers them free visibility on the Pickx Live channel and Pickx.be.
Many families have had to leave their country. Some of them will arrive in Belgium, and Proximus wants to support them. Proximus believes that it is essential to enable these Ukrainian families to stay in touch with their loved ones. That's why Proximus plans to offer prepaid cards to Ukrainian refugees with 10 GB of data and unlimited calling and texting in Belgium.
Proximus is investigating with the Office of the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Sammy Mahdi the most efficient way to organize the distribution of these cards and will assess the needs according to the situation.
We have also witnessed many outpourings of solidarity where families have volunteered to host Ukrainian refugees. Proximus wants to ensure that connectivity is not a barrier when these families welcome these people into their homes, by removing the Wi-Fi data limit for them and switching them to unlimited Wi-Fi, both for Scarlet and Proximus customers.
Besides, Proximus will gradually make certain buildings available to accommodate Ukrainian families. These include former caretaker's houses that will be refurbished to provide a welcoming home, equipped with the necessary amenities including telecom solutions, responding to the needs of these families who had to leave everything behind.
Like the entire Belgian population, Proximus employees also feel the need to help and show their solidarity with the Ukrainian people. That is why the company decided to grant specific days off to employees who wish to volunteer for an NGO that coordinates solidarity efforts for Ukraine.
"These actions obviously do not cover all the needs related to this dramatic crisis in Ukraine. However, Proximus wants to support Ukrainian refugees and their families with the means at its disposal. We also want to give a strong signal of support to all the Ukrainian people, which is why from now on all Proximus mobile customers can see "Stop Invasion" on their mobile phone instead of the traditional name of the network," said, Guillaume Boutin, CEO of the Proximus Group.