Yesterday T-Mobile teased that it would have a new Un-carrier announcement for today, and now we know exactly what that is.
T-Mobile has officially launched Connecting Heroes, the initiative it first announced last year as part of its merger with Sprint. With it, T-Mobile has pledged to give free wireless service to first responders over 10 years, which T-Mo estimates could save $7.7 billion if all first responder agencies sign up.
Connecting Heroes will give unlimited talk, text, and smartphone data to first responders. That includes 5G access at no extra charge as well as 1GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data plus 3G speeds after that. Streaming video at 480p is included, as is Mobile Without Borders which offers unlimited calling and texting between the US, Canada, and Mexico.
First responders can choose to upgrade their plan for $15 per month and get 20GB of mobile hotspot usage, unlimited texting and up to 256Kbps data in 210+ countries and destinations, plus free texting and in-flight Wi-Fi through Gogo.
T-Mobile's Connecting Heroes initiative is open to every public and non-profit, state and local police, fire, and EMS first responders. If you feel that you qualify, you can learn more and begin the signup process right here.
First responders are important during normal times, but they're especially important during the coronavirus pandemic. As many of us are sheltering in place to fight the spread of COVID-19, first responders are out in the world protecting us and taking a risk that they might catch the disease to keep us all safe. The Connecting Heroes initiative is a way to thank them for that, and it's good to see that T-Mo will keep the promo running for 10 years rather than a shorter period, like through the end of the pandemic or something like that.