Verizon Vows To Stop Throttling First Responder Data During Emergencies

Following controversy last week, Verizon has issued a statement vowing that it will no longer throttle data used by first responders. The restriction will be lifted for public safety customers during future disasters and has likewise been removed for first responders dealing with the Hurricane Lane and wildfire situations.READ: Verizon throttled fire department's unlimited data during wildfire

The decision follows a report last week in which it was revealed that Verizon had throttled an unlimited data plan used by the Santa Clara Fire Department. The throttling, which is reported to have drastically reduced speeds, impacted a fire truck used to manage resources, forcing the department to reach out to the carrier.

According to a declaration by the fire department, Verizon acknowledged the throttling but declined to remove it, instead requiring the department to upgrade to a different, more expensive plan. In a previously released statement, the wireless carrier said it has a policy of lifting the data restrictions in these instances, but that a customer support mistake resulted in the issue.

In a statement today, Verizon Senior VP of Public Sector Mike Maiorana said:

In supporting first responders in the Mendocino fire, we didn't live up to our own promise of service and performance excellence when our process failed some first responders on the line, battling a massive California wildfire. For that, we are truly sorry. And we're making every effort to ensure that it never happens again.

Verizon removed the data speed restrictions on first responders yesterday, vowing that they will have full network access during disasters now and in the future. As well, the carrier says it is introducing a new unlimited data plan designed specifically for first responders, one that brings automatic network priority access and that doesn't include caps.

SOURCE: Verizon