AT&T’s chief brand officer has stressed the company will be there for people amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The telecoms giant is the first to waive internet data caps for its customers as countless Americans move to a work from home environment. Additionally, through Access from AT&T, it will continue to offer internet data to qualifying limited income households for $10 a month.
Fiona Carter said: "One of AT&T’s values is to be there when people need us most, whether it’s our customers, our colleagues or our communities. Now is one of those times for us to be there. And we will.
"We recognize that staying in touch with family, friends, school and work has never been more important so we are taking multiple actions including offering AT&T consumer home internet customers unlimited internet data."
It comes as U.S. senators send a letter to communications companies including Comcast, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Part of it reads: "As organizations around the country formulate their responses to the recent outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, we write to discuss the steps that your company is taking to accommodate the unprecedented reliance we will likely see on telepresence services, including telework, online education, telehealth, and remote support services.
"Specifically, we ask that you temporarily suspend broadband caps and associated fees or throttling for all communities affected by COVID-19 and work with public school districts, colleges, and universities to provide free, or at-cost, broadband options for students whose schools close due to COVID-19 who don’t have access at home."