Optus allows people to donate data to the less fortunate to bridge the digital divide

The launch partners include charities The Smith Family and the KARI Foundation, who will help Optus give free sim cards to young people. Each card will have unlimited national standard talk and text and 10GB data for use in Australia, with additional data donated by Optus customers.

Optus deputy chief executive officer, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, said: “For many of us, data is something we take for granted. However, for some young Australians accessing the Internet and staying connected with the world around them is a real challenge. This entails everything from studying through to searching for jobs, watching videos or even doing a quick internet search. By giving a mobile service to participants of the program and inviting our customers to donate their unused data, we are providing much-needed internet access to young people who need it most.

“We believe all Australians should be able to stay connected and not feel disadvantaged. By partnering with charities such as The Smith Family and the KARI Foundation we want to enable connectivity to vulnerable members of our community. This includes young people in need, those experiencing homelessness, people facing domestic violence, and people living in disadvantaged and seeking a job,” explained Rosmarin.

The company has enlisted Youtuber math’s teacher, Eddie Woo of Wootube, to be an ambassador for the project and promote the campaign to his audience.