Press Releases

Budapest, May 2, 2022 10:30

The war in the neighboring country did not only increase concern, but also compassion and willingness to act. Magyar Telekom, together with its subsidiary T-Systems Hungary, has provided a wide range of support from the beginning to refugees coming to Hungary from Ukraine. The Group now added new elements to its support to facilitate the communication and integration of refugees and to support the work of the NGOs involved in their care. They are constantly monitoring the crisis and are in regular contact with aid agencies to provide the most effective support for their work.

Telecommunication administration services in the Ukrainian language
Telekom launched a Ukrainian-language customer service, that can be reached on 06 80 204 850 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays where a callback service in Ukrainian is also available.

Donation of devices
Under the Mobildonor program Telekom provides five thousand mobile phones and Domino SIM cards with a certain amount of traffic in minutes and data, as well as seven thousand portable external batteries (powerbanks) to those in need, in partnership with the NIOK Foundation through the Hungarian Interchurch Aid. (Telekom still accepts still working but unused smartphones under the Mobildonor program, which will be sent together with a SIM card after refurbishment to those who need them in the current situation.)

Digitalized, simpler customer identification
GoodID is partnering with Magyar Telekom to develop a unique digital identification solution to help refugees receive SIM cards faster. Under the legislation in force, before the SIM card is handed over and the service is activated (and thereafter at the intervals specified in the legislation), a certain data verification process must be carried out upon presenting a valid identification document.  The Cyrillic spelling in the mandatory data fields of documents makes manual data entry longer and the possibility of typos is higher, which can delay the handover of the SIM card. With the use of the GoodID Scanner mobile solution the process is fully automated: the scanning of the ID document is automated by the app using the camera and NFC antenna of the phone and the data is recorded in the relevant form. This eliminates the need for typing, thus reduces the time spent on administration by minutes.

Digital first aid
Within the framework of the #DigitalEmergency program the company provides free mobile internet access until the end of the war for institutions, associations and organizations hosting refugees from the war in Ukraine.

Help by employees and volunteering
The Group informs its employees on the intranet about the aid organizations working to help Ukrainian refugees and the most practical ways to help. Magyar Telekom and T-Systems Hungary ensure 5 workdays for all employees who wish to volunteer during working hours. In addition, 16 hours of voluntary work on holidays(s) entitles the employee to one day of additional holiday, i.e. one day is added to the number of available holidays.

Accommodation for volunteers
Magyar Telekom set up and operates accommodation for volunteers helping refugees in its own property in Mátészalka, in cooperation with the local municipality.

Job search assistance for Ukrainian refugees
Magyar Telekom, together with its mother company Deutsche Telekom Group, as global employers, help refugees from Ukraine to find jobs. The company created a thematic website, where job vacancies for Magyar Telekom and the entire Deutsche Telekom Group (DT Group) are available, as well as a dedicated phone and email contact where job seekers may receive help from Deutsche Telekom’s recruiters. Many of the jobs offered by DT Group can be done from home, so those who start working in these positions may continue their work even after returning to Ukraine.