As part of a cross-carrier initiative, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have collaborated with iHeartMedia to donate thousands of phone chargers to hospitals in cities throughout the United States. As per T-Mobile"s press release, as many as 40,000 phone chargers will be donated.
T-Mobile says that it has already supplied 20,000 chargers to hospitals in Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and San Diego. Verizon states that thousands of chargers will be donated to both hospitals and healthcare institutions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, New Orleans, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Similarly, AT&T also said that it would donate thousands of phone chargers. Although it did not specify the cities like other firms, it said the donation would be made to hardest-struck cities in the country. Valerie Vargas, SVP of Advertising and Creative Services, AT&T, said in the press release:
“Throughout this unique time, we have to support and take care of each other anyway we can - big or small. We will continue to do our part in keeping those hospitalized or quarantined away from their families connected and make a positive impact.”
The firms recognize that phone chargers are an essential need for what might be a lengthy stay inside the hospital. As a result of the respiratory infection, patients tend to have difficulty in speaking or breathing in extreme cases, so they depend on cell phones to text with their loved ones.