To contact loved ones in Japan after a tragic earthquake and tsunami, AT&T (News - Alert) implemented international calling and texting support efforts for U.S. residential wireless and wireline consumers.

In a press release, Mark Collins (News - Alert), senior vice president, Voice and Data Products, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, said, “We want to help our customers connect with loved ones in Japan in anyway we can. Connecting with family and friends is most important at times like this— we want to make it as easy and worry free as possible for our customers."

Customers will not be charged for calling time up to 60 minutes. The operator has also developed a donation service wherein the AT&T wireless customers can text "redcross" to 90999 to offer a $10 donation which will be given to help the Red Cross with disaster support efforts in the tsunami affected area. These messages will also be free.

AT&T was in the news recently when it announced highlights of local cell site investment plans for 2011. AT&T is focused on building new cell sites and expanding capacity at existing sites in the Bay Area as part of its overall planned $19-billion investment in its U.S. wireless and wireline networks and other capital projects in 2011.

AT&T plans to invest more than $200 million in Bay Area cell sites this year, including building more than 55 cell sites to increase coverage and network capacity, and continuing to add network capacity to further reduce network congestion and improve customers' mobile voice and broadband experience.

Sujata Garud is a TMCnet freelancer with three years of writing/editing experience and two years of market research experience. As an editor she has covered the IT, electronics, banking, pharma, construction, mining and healthcare industries. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Rich Steeves