Firefighters say Verizon ‘throttled’ data, crippling communications during California wildfire
The
The attorneys general cited
"These reduced speeds severely interfered with OES 5262's ability to function effectively," Bowden wrote. The vehicle is a "command and control resource" that helps direct traffic during big fires and other emergencies, coordinating with other agencies, he added.
The lawsuit over net neutrality is pending in the
The chief said his agency complained to Verizon, but the telecom provider said the
Verizon, in a statement to
"This situation has nothing to do with net neutrality or the current proceeding in court," the carrier said. "We made a mistake in how we communicated with our customer about the terms of its plan. Like all customers, fire departments choose service plans that are best for them. This customer purchased a government contract plan for a high-speed wireless data allotment at a set monthly cost. Under this plan, users get an unlimited amount of data but speeds are reduced when they exceed their allotment until the next billing cycle.
"Regardless of the plan emergency responders choose, we have a practice to remove data speed restrictions when contacted in emergency situations. We have done that many times, including for emergency personnel responding to these tragic fires. In this situation, we should have lifted the speed restriction when our customer reached out to us. This was a customer support mistake. We are reviewing the situation and will fix any issues going forward."
The court filing showed that
Capt.
The Mendocino Complex Fire, which has burned more territory than any fire in
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said the
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