In times of Corona online, stay informed at all times and connected across all channels:O₂ secures basic communication for millions of private and business customers

The current corona issue affects the whole of society. O₂ is assuming responsibility and providing its customers with the best possible support in these challenging times: A special measure will ensure the basic communicative supply of all O₂ private and business customers as well as customers of the second brand BLUE (both prepaid and postpaid). In the coming weeks, they will be able to keep up to date with the latest developments and stay in touch with family and friends without restrictions - by telephone or video telephony, via WhatsApp and other digital channels. To this end, the surfing speed will be increased to 384 Kbit/s after consumption of the included data volume. With this promotion, which is subject to the end of April, customers will be able to use the most relevant smartphone applications without limit and at no additional cost.

"Especially now, as a mobile phone provider, we bear a great responsibility: Our customers are more than ever dependent on receiving all essential information about COVID-19 via our O₂ network and on keeping close contact with family, friends and business partners despite physical distance,” says Markus Haas, CEO of Telefónica Germany. "We provide a secure communicative basic supply - and thus support our customers quickly, pragmatically and effectively. In view of the changes in our customers' lives as a result of the measures taken to slow down the spread of the corona virus in Germany, we believe this approach makes more sense than the additional offer of a limited high-speed data volume".

O₂ private customers generally have large data packages as well as a telephony and SMS flat rate to all German networks. Once the high-speed data volume included is used up, the measure to ensure the basic supply of all O₂ customers takes effect: Customers can continue to surf the Internet and, for example, find out about current developments on the usual health and news portals, stay in touch with family and friends via social media and messaging services, send e-mails and files or talk to loved ones via video telephony. In many cases, the reduced surfing speed is usually 32 Kbit/s. The increase of the surfing speed to 384 Kbps is automatic. Customers will be informed via o2.de and other channels. The technical implementation will take place within the next few days for O₂ postpaid customers and within the next one to two weeks for O₂ prepaid customers. For O₂ Free customers with a surfing guarantee and users of the current O₂ Free Unlimited tariffs, nothing will change. Pre- and postpaid customers of the second brand BLUE will also benefit from the increase in speed.

Not only does the measure apply to millions of private mobile phone users, but it also helps companies to keep their business running at the best possible level: For the self-employed and small businesses, for O₂ Business customers as well as customers of Telefónica Global Solutions, the surfing speed will also be significantly increased to 384 Kbit/s after consumption of the included high-speed data volume. This means that employees remain available at all times and always able to act. The technical solution will take effect in the next few days. The same applies to business customers: If you use an O₂ Free tariff with a surfing guarantee or one of the new O₂ Free Unlimited tariffs, nothing will change for you.