Image of T-Mobile logo and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America logo locked up

T-Mobile | Big Brothers Big Sisters of America - T-Mobile Newsroom

https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2021/05/nr-hero-Full-Tmobile-Logo-New-2021.png

T-Mobile Newsroom

News

Community

Through New Partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Accessibility to Free Internet from T-Mobile’s Project 10Million is Easier for Over One Hundred Thousand Students

T-Mobile | Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

2539182_Pride_nr-article-6-1-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

Employee Spotlight: Pride is Power

2539182_Pride_nr-article-6-1-22

T-Mobile’s new Mobile Command Center allows both T-Mobile incident responders and regional support to mobilize, coordinate efforts and ultimately support the community in a quicker, more efficient method.

nr-disaster-season-article-5-24-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

T-Mobile Invests in Network Resources and Expands Emergency Response Fleet to Keep People Connected When Disasters Strike

nr-disaster-season-article-5-24-22

nr-disaster-season-hero-5-24-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

nr-disaster-season-hero-5-24-22

2517220_Disaster-Response_nr-article-5-23-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

One Team Together: A Unified Front to Help Those Impacted by Emergency Events

2517220_Disaster-Response_nr-article-5-23-22

nr-hero-AAPI-5-23-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

Employee Spotlight: An Intersectional Experience of May

nr-hero-AAPI-5-23-22

nr-article-AAPI-5-23-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

nr-article-AAPI-5-23-22

T-Mobile-AAPI Logo - T-Mobile Newsroom

Asian American and Pacific Islander Month: The many pieces of a beautifully complex puzzle

T-Mobile-AAPI Logo

nr-article-GAAD-5-19-22 (1) - T-Mobile Newsroom

Accessibility and Inclusion for Future Talent 

nr-article-GAAD-5-19-22 (1)

nr-article-Warriors-and-Quiet-Waters-5-11-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

An Ally. A Military Spouse. A Soldier.

nr-article-Warriors-and-Quiet-Waters-5-11-22

Military appreciation month 2022_hero image - T-Mobile Newsroom

The U.S. Military Creates Great Leaders: T-Mobile Wants to Hire Them  

Military appreciation month 2022_hero image

nr-article-EarthDay-4-15-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

Mobilizing for a Thriving Planet on Earth Day, and Every Day

nr-article-EarthDay-4-15-22

T-Mobile's Kaylee Kenison, a former Iraq War medic, advocates for veterans who work for The Nature Conservancy and helps connect the organization with veterans through TNC's Veterans in Nature’s Service employee resource group

nr-hero-Earth-Day-04-19-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

Employee Spotlight: How These Magenta Rock Stars Go Green

nr-hero-Earth-Day-04-19-22

Earth Day The Nature Conservancy T-Mobile

nr-article-Earth-Day-04-19-22 - T-Mobile Newsroom

nr-article-Earth-Day-04-19-22

The Un-carrier and the nation’s largest youth mentoring organization are collaborating to bridge the schoolwork gap by bringing critical connectivity to underserved students nationwide

tmobile-blocks/subhead

BELLEVUE, Wash. — June 21, 2022 — Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) announced a new partnership that makes access to T-Mobile’s <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/business/education/project-10-million" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Project 10Million</a>, the Un-carrier’s $10.7 billion initiative focused on providing students free internet connectivity, even easier.

core/paragraph

Through the collaboration, the more than one hundred thousand students who are in Big Brothers Big Sisters’ expansive network of 230 agencies across 5,000 communities will be able to learn about Project 10Million, and eligible households will now be able to more easily register for the program’s free internet and a mobile hotspot that provides 100GB of data per year for five years. Providing this access to students and their families comes at a critical moment in time: <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/10/59-of-u-s-parents-with-lower-incomes-say-their-child-may-face-digital-obstacles-in-schoolwork/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pew Research Center</a> currently reports that 59% of U.S. parents with lower incomes say their children face digital schoolwork obstacles and often work on public Wi-Fi because they do not have reliable internet at home.

“T-Mobile and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America are teaming up to extend Project 10Million’s reach by meeting students and families where they are, through an organization and program they know and trust, ultimately giving them easier access to the tools they need to focus on their education rather than searching for reliable Wi-Fi,” said Janice V. Kapner, chief communications officer for T-Mobile. “Connectivity is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for students to learn and grow — it’s a necessity. And now, they will get a mobile hotspot and enough data to equal 5,000 hours of internet research or 320 hours of online learning into the hands of students in time for the upcoming school year.”

“Young people have faced the realities of inequitable access to internet for far too long. Our community of mentors and volunteers have been committed to providing the support, resources and time needed to keep all kids on a path to academic success,” said Deborah Barge, chief development officer, BBBSA. “We know there is power in partnership and community, that is why we are so pleased to partner with T-Mobile to provide the critical access to the connectivity necessary to empower young people and their potential.”

Starting June 21, parents and guardians of eligible K through 12 grade students will find the tools to enroll in Project 10Million at <a href="http://www.t-mobile.com/bbbs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.t-mobile.com/bbbs</a> or in-person through their Big Brothers Big Sisters match support specialist. School administrators and educators can learn more about Project 10Million and apply for their district at <a href="http://www.t-mobile.com/p10m" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.t-mobile.com/p10m</a>.

The expanded reach and capacity of T-Mobile’s network plays a crucial role in the Un-carrier’s ability to make reliable connectivity truly accessible to students across the U.S. This includes those in urban centers, as well as underserved areas like rural America, where 14.5 million people do not have access to high-speed broadband internet according to <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/eighth-broadband-progress-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the FCC</a>, which underscores the need for accessible internet options like mobile hotspots.

core/image

About T-Mobile T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. For more information please visit: <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.t-mobile.com</a>.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest and most experienced youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters' evidence-based approach is designed to create positive youth outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters has over 230 local agencies serving more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states. For more information, visit: <a href="http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org</a>.

During congestion, Project 10Million customers may notice speeds lower than other customers due to data prioritization. Limited time offer; subject to change. Available lines are limited. Intended for student mobile connectivity. Must verify student National School Lunch Program eligibility. 1 offer per household. Roaming not available. Annual data service ends at earlier of 100GB or 365 days. Annual data service resets each year for 5 years total. Video streams at up to 2.5Mbps (SD). Optimization may affect speed of video downloads; does not apply to video uploads. For best performance, leave any video streaming applications at their default automatic resolution setting. Optional educational filtering may prevent some video streaming or other content. Coverage not available in some areas. Network Management: Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated, or restricted for misuse, abnormal use, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or roaming. See <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/consumer-info/policies/internet-service" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">T-Mobile.com/OpenInternet</a> for details. See Terms and Conditions (including arbitration provision) at <a href="http://www.T-Mobile.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.T-Mobile.com</a> for additional information.

Media Contacts

tmobile-blocks/media-contact

Through New Partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Accessibility to Free Internet from T-Mobile’s Project 10Million is Easier for Over One Hundred Thousand Students - T-Mobile Newsroom

https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/2558721_Project-10-Million_ntc-6-14-22.png

As T-Mobile celebrates Pride 2022 with the affirmation “I am an advocate for my community, making an impact,” we bring you the personal stories of several employees who share exactly how they live out that commitment at work and beyond.

While T-Mobile recognizes that support at the national level is important and continues through <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/celebrating-diversity/lgbtq-plus-pride">partnerships with GLSEN, Happy Hippies and HRC to</a> improve the quality of life of at-risk LGBTQIA+ community members, it’s vital to show that there is power in every single voice. Spotlighting how individuals can make an impact shows that Pride is Power.

The anti-transgender legislation making news of late is more than just a headline for the people interviewed in this spotlight. Everyone featured says that telling their story is an actionable item in the ways they want to celebrate Pride this year. It is how they are being advocates for their community, making an impact. From Seattle to Wichita to Memphis and Colorado Springs, their stories include gender-affirming treatments that they say T-Mobile’s health benefits made possible, or changing chosen names on work badges and pronouns with co-workers. They’re experiences that help shape T-Mobile’s own advocacy practices that now include things such as a thorough transition guide and employee handbook of policies designed to create a better experience for co-workers across the company who come out as trans at work.

“Our Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG) is a place where our employees can bring their ideas about how to make our workplace better for all,” says Jen Palmer (She/Her), senior director of T-Mobile’s Technology Project Management Office and the chair of the Pride ERG. “We take great pride in consistently looking at new ways to improve experiences. Whether it’s encouraging all to add their pronouns to badges and email signatures, or recommending inclusive language on our restroom signage, or looking at our own internal systems and fixing issues that may pop up when a colleague changes their name. As we hear from our employees, we also continually evaluate our benefits to ensure they meet the unique needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. Our ERG does not settle for the status quo. It’s our role to champion inclusivity and continuous improvement.”

core/heading

core/embed

“Sometimes I think that the Pride Employee Resource Group at T-Mobile found me just as much as I found it,” says Haven Vilminot (They/Them), an HR data analyst and non-binary/transgender T-Mobile employee in Seattle.

When talking about T-Mobile’s Pride is Power 2022 initiative, it’s important to remember how the company’s Pride ERG began and how those simple beginnings continue to have visible effects on its members today, even for those like Haven from the newer Gen Z workforce. Pride participation at T-Mobile began as a grassroots movement before becoming an influential, company-wide commitment.

Back in 2013, some thirty employees from two call centers in Albuquerque took it upon themselves to represent T-Mobile in their local Pride parade. The news of these employees spearheading this participation traveled fast all the way to T-Mobile’s headquarters in Bellevue, Wash., inspiring another hundred employees to not only march in, but also sponsor the Seattle Pride parade the following year. Today, the ERG boasts more than 13,000 members across 50-plus chapters in the country.

“For me, queer community was something that I had outside of work, but that I wasn’t able to bring into work with me, and that’s a very unsustainable way to live,” says Haven, “but T-Mobile is actually the first place that I’ve ever worked where I felt safe to be all the way out of the closet.”

Haven says one reason for that is T-Mobile is the first place where they had an openly gay boss, who connected them to resources at the company specific to the LGBTQIA+ community.

“For me, Pride Month is a moment, I think, where a lot of us like to pause and think about our history, but it is also a time where I feel particularly moved by being able to imagine futures together as people,” says Haven. “For Pride Month 2022, something that I’m thinking about is the concept of taking a door off the hinges when you go through. Outside of my T-Mobile community, I find myself making sure that I am visible and out and taking that door off the hinges on my way through, so that anybody who comes after me maybe has to do a little bit less of that. We’re building on it for each other everywhere we go.”

Brantley Clark (He/Him) says he is many things: A partner. A girl dad. A trans man. A black man. A trans black man. And he is crystal clear how to encapsulate all that succinctly if you ask what Pride means to him.

“Progressive Individualism,” he will tell you. “Those are two words that I hold during Pride.”

They are two words that the global care business support manager from the T-Mobile Wichita Customer Experience Center says not only give space for the many layers of his own unique identity, but also helps to invite others who perhaps, like him, did not always feel represented under the Pride umbrella.

“There’s this epiphanic moment in June that everyone gets from a societal perspective,” says Brantley, “but I walk this journey every day, not just in June. And it’s an every day progression into the right direction as an individual.”

Brantley says when he began his transition at T-Mobile it was abundantly clear that despite the lack of support from family members, he could safely be in what he called “a long-term relationship” with T-Mobile.

“When I stepped into global care as B, as Brantley, I didn’t have to bring on that past history with me,” he explains. “Being in a spot where I had the financial means, the benefits, the insurance and many other supporting factors, is when it really hit home for me, and I realized that T-Mobile is a place that I could commit myself to. T-Mobile gave me the ability to control what I look like and what I presented to the world, and it really helped me to align my internal with my external, and I don’t compromise that for anything.”

This Pride, Brantley says he is hyper-focused on trans visibility within T-Mobile and beyond.

“I have a seat on this plane called Pride,” he says. “But are we always doing the seatbelt checks to make sure everybody’s buckled in? Are we making sure everybody on the manifesto is actually on the plane?”

A leader in his local Pride ERG chapter, he says he was the first trans person on the advisory council and as such feels a sense of responsibility to create a path that others can follow and join him.

“From a LGBTQIA+ perspective, there’s not many examples of leaders who looks like me,” he says. “Which is why my mantra this year has been we're going to do the work to get it done, even if it means that I have to be the face for people to see. What we really need to do is create equality and equity across Pride.”

For Jason Bayless (They/Them), a Community Expert at T-Mobile’s Colorado Springs Customer Experience Center, their advocacy stems from a painful experience with a previous employer and a desire to give back to those who showed them what true advocacy looks like.

“The reason I started at T-Mobile, and it’s a reason that I hear a lot of people say that they are at T-Mobile, is because it is a place that they are able to truly be themselves,” says Jason. “Not embracing that and not stepping out of what for me personally had been a very easy bubble of just passing — that wasn’t being true to myself because I was not giving back what this company had given me, and it’s not helping to pave the way forward for other people.”

Jason became co-chair of the Colorado Spring Pride ERG chapter as a way to advocate for others. Jason’s story of qualifying for hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery and being supported by T-Mobile’s benefits plan along the way is profound because of the way they felt unable to do basic things according to the gender they identified as in previous jobs.

“More than anything, it had to do with the people around me,” says Jason.

Not comfortable with being out at work previously often led to Jason being “pegged as a lesbian” because there simply were no open conversations about it and using the restroom they felt comfortable in was never something they were able to even consider.

While Jen Palmer says most all of T-Mobile’s properties, including its headquarters, call centers and retail locations, have genderless bathroom options, the company’s gender transition guide and employee handbook also state clearly that “all employees should have access to restrooms that correspond to their gender identity” and that “employees should determine the most appropriate option for themselves.” It’s a policy Jason says they never had before, and the lack of that protected inclusivity caused very public derision.

“Once in a meeting at another company I was very pointedly told by upper management in front of everyone that I was not allowed to go into the restroom that I actually identified as, because that’s not what it showed on my birth records,” recounts Jason. “It's not what showed on my ID. And if I did not agree with it, there was the door. These people that I’d worked with for years, looked me in the eye and then literally physically pointed at the door. I was broken.”

Compare that to the experience Jason had after joining T-Mobile, where they say managers and co-workers not only supported all the protocols to change their name and pronouns after their transition, but even quickly helped fill their shift when a last-minute appointment for part of their gender affirming surgery became available. From the small things to the very big things, Jason says there’s no price you can put on the value of being surrounded by advocates.

“You don’t have to always make a big splash to make an impact,” says Jason. “To turn to my coworker, a cis male who says he has never known anyone who wasn’t straight and have him say we can participate together in ‘<a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/personal-care/what-is-movember-and-no-shave-november-the-history-and-how-to-participate/">No-Shave November</a>’ now that I have been able to grow a full beard, is so incredible.”

If you look up Ellis Bishop-Wright (He/Him) online today, you would be hard pressed not to find some kind of positive comment about how he has impacted people at work. As Ellis was preparing to be part of a <a href="https://lesbianswhotech.org/pridesummit2022/">Lesbians Who Tech</a> event with T-Mobile Chief Human Resource Officer Deeanne King this month to discuss his coming out story at the company, many who felt touched by his kindness were on all major social channels singing his praise.

“Ellis has been a leader and advocate for Human Rights as long as I’ve known him,” writes one person. “He is someone I am proud to work alongside and learn from.”

Others posted that the senior learning solutions consultant in T-Mobile’s Career Development and Learning organization is someone who has been “dedicated to creating a safe and affirming environment in the workplace.” Ellis’ online persona paints an unshakeable force. But speak to Ellis directly and he will acknowledge that the powerful person he feels today is in stark contrast to the person he felt like just four years ago.

“It was May of 2018, and I was depressed, unemployed, and had real doubts I would ever get hired,” says Ellis.

Having lived in a part of Memphis where he says he and his wife were not particularly welcomed in their local stores or their kids’ schools, it wasn’t until he joined T-Mobile a year later that something switched.

“The environment at T-Mobile gave me a lot of confidence and that space to explore who I am,” says Ellis, “and helped me get to the point where I was like, ‘Okay, I’m trans and I need to admit this and stop spending so much time and energy not admitting it.’”

Ellis says he knows there are so many who do not share in his positive experience of coming out at work.

“I am representing trans people of T-Mobile,” says Ellis, “and my coming out was like landing on a soft cloud. Deeanne was excited. My manager happy-cried when I told her. People got so excited for me, and it has just been like doors always open … but I know that others — many, many others — haven’t had such a positive coming out experience as I have and sometimes I feel like guilty about it.”

And while Ellis is careful not to imply through his personal story that there aren’t real risks that trans people face every day when they come out at work, he says he hopes showing what a positive experience can do for both the person and the overall work environment can be impactful on a micro and macro scale.

“This is my first foray into the world as a transgender man,” says Ellis. “When I combine that with the terrifying and terrible legislation that is happening all over this country against trans people, I feel now is the time to speak up and have our voices heard.”

core/separator

You’ve heard some of their voices, now see some of their faces below at T-Mobile sponsored Pride events as they become available all month long.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-10-at-8.40.18-AM-1024x685.png" alt="" class="wp-image-88535"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/Screen-Shot-2022-06-10-at-8.54.27-AM-1-1024x593.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88568"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_DJI-0105-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88658"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_DJI-0107-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88616"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_DJI-0108-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88664"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_DJI-0109-1-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88661"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1190-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88607"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1195-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88625"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1198-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88631"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1204-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88637"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1206-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88628"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1211-1-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88667"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1223-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88643"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1227-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88646"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1235-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88652"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/22CM0154-01_Pride_Parade_Miami-FL_LM2-1240-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-88649"/><figcaption>Pride Miami 2022</figcaption></figure>

core/gallery

T-Mobile celebrates Pride by sharing the stories of LGBTQ+ employees who live out their commitment to community and advocacy at work and beyond.

Employee Spotlight: Pride is Power - T-Mobile Newsroom

https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/06/2539182_Pride_ntc-6-1-22.png

Members of T-Mobile’s emergency management and response teams explain how they work seamlessly together during natural disasters to restore network outages and bring mobile assets to impacted communities that help keep people connected with loved ones when it matters most.

When it comes to supporting customers and communities after disasters impact connectivity, John Melbert has over two decades of experience in emergency management — and he will tell you the one thing that matters most when it comes to disaster response is simple.

“It’s not about the equipment or the applications,” explains the T-Mobile network engineer manager, “it’s the people. It’s always about the teams and the way they come together and find solutions to any issues.”

It’s why on a beautiful and calm day at T-Mobile’s Bellevue, WA Headquarters that felt far from the emergency events he’s accustomed to, John was excited to introduce to other employees the integral teams and equipment that make up the multi-pronged support for customers and communities impacted by disasters.

As the start of hurricane season quickly approaches —from June 1st until November 30th — John and members of his Network Engineering and Operations Team rolled in a number of their emergency management vehicles and parked them right alongside equipment used by their colleagues from T-Mobile’s Consumer Group Business Continuity Team as part of the Community Support program.

“What you’re seeing is the collaboration between our two teams at large, and reflects exactly how we would show up after a disaster,” says Rod McWilliams, a T-Mobile director with the Business Continuity Team.

An entire city block was lined up with network satellite trucks, Wi-Fi trailers, a Mobile Command Center, a self-powered charging station, a large F-250 pickup truck and so much more.

“From a logistics standpoint, when bad things happen we all stage together,” says John. “You’ll see our engineering trucks side by side with Community Support trucks. It’s one big, unified response, even though we focus on different paths.”

It was a great display of the seamless teamwork and comradery T-Mobile has fostered as the backbone of its large-scale emergency response efforts.

“I always believe that my team is a team that works well together because when we go into these disaster events we have to band together,” says Mo Thornton, a program manager with the Business Continuity Team. “It’s about getting the consumers and the community what they need in that moment.”

In order to support those impacted by disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires, these teams work tirelessly to address both the issues of restoring affected cell towers and reconstituting T-Mobile’s network as well as supporting communities with temporary connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, backup power and extra devices.

“The Network Engineering team is always going to do everything they can to get the network back up after some kind of disastrous event,” says Rod. “What our team does with the Community Support Program is we really do outreach to the community. We provide charging supplies and pre-lit phones so people can call their loved ones immediately.”

Members of the emergency response teams say it’s the one-two punch that is necessary to be truly impactful after these kinds of events.

“We come in right behind the engineers as they rebuild the network and focus on how can we help in that very first moment of need,” says Becky Romero, a senior manager with the Business Continuity Team. “I’m talking day one or day two. We look to generate immediate connectivity at local shelters where people may have been evacuated.”

And everyone says they’ve worked tirelessly to prepare after learning so much during some of the more extreme disasters of the past several years.

“Hurricane Ida last year in Louisiana was probably one of the best examples of how our preparation was effective,” says Rod. “<a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/humanity-during-hurricanes">We handed out $1.2 million in phone and charging supplies</a> to those impacted and it was hugely successful.

And T-Mobile’s Puerto Rico network has recently been awarded as the dominant winner in <a href="https://www.opensignal.com/reports/2022/05/puerto-rico/mobile-network-experience">OpenSignal’s Network Experience Awards</a> for Q1 2022.

“It’s one of the most prepared Markets in our Network,” says John. “They have to be, due to their higher-than-average probability of being in the path of a hurricane and more recently being subjected to earthquakes. Add in the logistical challenges of getting supplies to the island, and it’s clear that they have to be operating at a higher level of preparation given these potential obstacles, and they are. I couldn’t be more proud.”

“We’re never satisfied with what we have. It’s always what can we do bigger, better, faster,” says John. “For example, on the network side, we are adding an additional 5,300 generators to combat power outages at cell sites as part of our hardening program this year.”

Some of the new equipment, like the Wi-Fi/Charging Station trailer with 80 charging units, the Mobile Command Center that’s called “an office on wheels,” and the F-250 pickup truck, were actually seasoned workhorses, having already done a successful first run responding to the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon wildfires in New Mexico in early May that led to more than 650 people being evacuated to the Glorieta Camp Grounds.

“We were able to provide 400 pre-lit phones and 400 single port charging units and 400 universal charging cables when we arrived with our new charging trailer that also supplies Wi-Fi,” explains Becky.

“Actually, our Network team confirmed that the T-Mobile service was strong,” says Rod. “But with 650 evacuees, some who weren’t T-Mobile customers, we knew that boost of Wi-Fi support would allow for so many more people to call their loved ones right away.”

“While we are blessed to have facilities and staff here to host,” says Josh Nelson, the Glorieta Camp Ground Site Manager, “it’s those like T-Mobile who come out here that help us make this happen for the evacuees. Without the support of T-Mobile and the community we couldn’t pull this off. T-Mobile coming here and meeting so many needs is huge.”

T-Mobile’s emergency response teams work together during natural disasters to restore network outages and bring mobile assets to impacted communities.

One Team Together: A Unified Front to Help Those Impacted by Emergency Events - T-Mobile Newsroom

https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/2517220_Disaster-Response_ntc-5-23-22.png

To be ready to help customers, first responders and communities during hurricane and wildfire seasons and beyond, the Un-carrier has stepped up efforts around network resiliency and redundancy, community response, educational programs and more

BELLEVUE, Wash. — May 26, 2022 — T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) is taking big steps to be ready for whatever this year's hurricane and wildfire seasons bring its way. From making massive network resiliency investments that added thousands of backup generators to its resource inventory, to expanding its emergency response fleet to include even more vehicles with WiFi connectivity, to launching a new consumer-focused educational collaboration with The Weather Channel, the Un-carrier wants the communities it serves across the U.S. to know Team Magenta has their backs.

“As forecasters predict another round of challenging summer weather events in 2022, T-Mobile teams have been taking proactive steps throughout the year to prepare so we can be there for the communities we serve when they need it most,” said T-Mobile President of Technology Neville Ray. “Investing in our network, expanding our emergency response equipment fleet and preparing our teams to mobilize ensures T-Mobile shows up quickly whenever and wherever we’re needed. Our sincerest hope is that communities won’t be impacted, but we’ll be ready for whatever may come.”

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/Jeep-Deployed-Solar-HDR-1024x705.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87680"/><figcaption>Network Jeep</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/22CM0178_ERT_Vehicle-Open-House_2N4A3869-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87698"/><figcaption>Mobile Command Center</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/OpenLgSatCOLT_Deployed_Up-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87674"/><figcaption>Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT)</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/Hurricane-Michael_2-2-1024x498.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87677"/><figcaption>T-Mobile deploys a small satellite during Hurricane Michael in 2018.</figcaption></figure>

Disasters can be unpredictable, so <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/emergency-response-one-team-together" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">T-Mobile teams aim to be ready for any possibility</a>. Before, during and after a weather or disaster event, the Un-carrier focuses on ensuring customers, first responders and communities are supported.

Communication and Collaboration Ongoing communication and collaboration between T-Mobile teams and with other partners is critical to staying informed and keeping customers aware of what’s to come. This includes:

core/list

Network and Community Response Readiness When it comes to network readiness, resiliency and redundancy are critical. T-Mobile is taking measures now that will allow the Un-carrier to be able to maintain connectivity with limited interruption even in the worst of conditions, including:

Customers can take steps to prepare themselves before and during weather events, too. Here are a few:

If power outages and other service interruptions occur:

Customers and the community can stay up to date on T-Mobile’s response and recovery efforts:

*Wi-Fi Calling: Capable phone and Wi-Fi connection required; may decrement plan minutes. Most devices will not transition between Wi-Fi and the wireless network. See your device’s User Manual and selected service for details.

About T-Mobile T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/">https://www.t-mobile.com</a>.

core/file

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/Hurricane-Michael-1024x498.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87773"/><figcaption>T-Mobile deploys a small satellite during Hurricane Michael in 2018.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/Mobile-Command-Center-2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87779"/><figcaption>T-Mobile unveils its new Mobile Command Center at its headquarters in Bellevue, WA on May 19, 2022.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/Network-Jeep-1024x705.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87776"/><figcaption>T-Mobile’s Network Jeep can drive over mountainous or uneven terrain to reach the hardest-hit areas following a disaster.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2022/05/SatCOLT-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-87770"/><figcaption>T-Mobile’s large Satellite Cell on Light Truck (SatCOLT) can be driven to wherever it is needed in the event of a disaster or other major incident.</figcaption></figure>

Community

Through New Partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Accessibility to Free Internet from T‑Mobile’s Project 10Million is Easier for Over One Hundred Thousand Students