Gift that old phone to someone who needs it
If you have an old smartphone you’re not using anymore, you have several options. You can give it away to a friend, sell it on eBay, trade it in for an upgrade, or just leave it in a drawer and forget it even exists.
But Optus now gives you another option: the telco is encouraging Australians to donate their old devices to those who actually need it. The Donate Your Device program comes after the success of the Donate Your Data program, which asked customers to donate data to young Australians in need.
But a 2018 Deloitte survey indicated that 89 percent of Australians owned a smartphone at that time. That means 9 out of every 10 Australians you come across have a smartphone of their own. And that was in 2018 – smartphone ownership has likely gone up today. So is there really such a need to donate your smartphone when almost everyone already has one?
Well, while an 89 percent smartphone penetration is huge, that still leaves over 10 percent of the population vulnerable. While one out of every 10 Australians doesn’t sound like such a big deal, that’s still one too many people without access to a smartphone and, in other words, the Internet.
In this article, we’ll tell you all about Optus’ Donate Your Device program and how to participate. Read on to find out.
About Optus’ Donate Your Device program
Before the Donate Your Device program, Optus launched Donate Your Data in 2018, urging customers to gift data to young Australians in need. As of late last year, that programme had resulted in 18 million GB of data donated from two million customers. The telco eventually partnered with Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation to support their telehealth service by gifting data to young Australians who can then use it to make use of telehealth care.
With the massive success of Donate Your Data, Optus now hopes the same will apply to the Donate Your Device program. This latest program considers vulnerable Australians without access to smartphones and Internet connectivity, helping to bridge the gap through charitable donations of old devices.
Optus has partnered with Good 360 Australia Limited to distribute the donated devices to Australians in need. This includes a wide variety of areas including education, employment, and hardship.
Recall the coronavirus pandemic led to stay-at-home orders and business closures, meaning many Australians have lost their jobs, finding themselves in positions of need. With a program like Donate Your Device, they now have a way to get back in the loop.
How to participate in Optus’ Donate Your Device program
Optus has made donating your device to those in need quite simple. If you have a smartphone laying around that you don’t need anymore, just take it down to an Optus store to have it donated.
If your device isn’t sparkling clean, don’t worry about that – Optus will clean your device and get rid of all data so that your information remains private.
Optus also accepts phones with scratches and scuffs, so don’t throw that old phone away. However, if the phone is damaged, Optus will assist you in recycling it through the Mobile Muster recycling program or trading it in.
After handing your device over to Optus for donation, the telco will pair it with a Donate Your Data SIM card so that the recipient can make use of the phone immediately. They will be connected the Optus Living Network through the Optus app.
For now, Optus doesn’t accept laptops and tablets so you can only donate your mobile device. And if you purchased your phone from another provider or company, Optus will still accept it for donation as long as it is an unlocked device.
Final words
If you’ve been looking for a way to help Australians in need, Optus has given you a chance to do that with the Donate Your Device program. Like the Donate Your Data program before it, Optus is making it easy for you to participate in charitable acts.
If you’re interested, locate the nearest Optus store and drop off that phone you don’t use anymore.