Verizon Throttled Mobile Services Of First Responders Fighting California Wildfires

Fighting fires is difficult, dangerous work. Recently, that was made worse by an internet service provider (ISP). Ars Technica reported:

"Verizon Wireless' throttling of a fire department that uses its data services has been submitted as evidence in a lawsuit that seeks to reinstate federal net neutrality rules. "County Fire has experienced throttling by its ISP, Verizon," Santa Clara County Fire Chief Anthony Bowden wrote in a declaration. "This throttling has had a significant impact on our ability to provide emergency services. Verizon imposed these limitations despite being informed that throttling was actively impeding County Fire's ability to provide crisis-response and essential emergency services." Bowden's declaration was submitted in an addendum to a brief filed by 22 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, Santa Clara County, Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District, and the California Public Utilities Commission. The government agencies are seeking to overturn the recent repeal of net neutrality rules in a lawsuit they filed against the Federal Communications Commission in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit."

Reportedly, Verizon replied with a statement that the throttling, "was a customer service error." Huh? This is how Verizon treats first-responders? This is how an ISP treats first-responders during a major emergency and natural disaster? The wildfires have claimed 12 deaths, destroyed at least 1,200 homes, and wiped out the state's emergency fund. Smoke from the massive wildfires has caused extensive pollution and health warnings in Northwest areas including Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. The thick smoke could be seen from space.

Ars Technica reported in an August 21 update:

"Santa Clara County disputed Verizon's characterization of the problem in a press release last night. "Verizon's throttling has everything to do with net neutrality—it shows that the ISPs will act in their economic interests, even at the expense of public safety," County Counsel James Williams said on behalf of the county and fire department. "That is exactly what the Trump Administration's repeal of net neutrality allows and encourages." "

In 2017, President Trump appointed Ajit Pai, a former Verizon attorney, as Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Under Pai's leadership, the FCC revoked both online privacy and net neutrality protections for consumers. This gave ISPs the freedom to do as they want online while consumers lost two key freedoms: a) the freedom to control the data describing their activities online (which are collected and shared with others by ISPs), and b) freedom to use the internet bandwidth purchased as they choose.

If an ISP will throttle and abuse first-responders, think of what it will do it regular consumers. What are your opinions?