Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Wednesday asked Verizon to explain why it endangered communities threatened by wildfires and first responders by recently throttling the data speeds of firefighters’ communications. Wyden’s letter to Verizon comes in the wake of troubling reports that Verizon slowed – or “throttled” -- the data speeds on fire officials’ unlimited Verizon plans while they were battling one of the biggest blazes devastating the West.
“Even more alarming was that at one point Verizon’s customer service representatives apparently suggested that the firefighters’ data problems could be resolved if they paid more in order to receive truly unlimited data,” Wyden wrote. “This is nothing short of Verizon nickel and diming first responders, while limiting their ability to communicate and effectively respond to emergencies.”