Fire Dept. Struggled During Wildfire After Verizon Jammed Its Data Speed

Verizon Credit: BBC
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Verizon throttled the data used by a California fire department when it was in the midst of fighting multiple wildfires, according to a new report.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department had paid Verizon for unlimited data. But in the midst of fighting the still-ongoing Mendocino Complex Fire, the department’s data speeds were “severely throttled,” Ars Technica reported.

Department officials contacted Verizon and asked that they stop the throttling in the interests of public safety. The carrier reportedly refused to do so until Santa Clara Fire paid for an upgraded unlimited plan.

The carrier’s actions are now being used as evidence in a lawsuit that seeks to reinstate federal-level net neutrality rules. Santa Clara Fire Chief Anthony Bowden added a declaration as an addendum to a brief filed by 22 state attorneys.

Specifically, the data throttling impacted a fire department vehicle that was being used as a command and control center to “track, organize, and prioritize routing of resources from around the state and country to the sites where they are needed most,” Bowden wrote.

During the throttling, the data speeds were reduced to 1/200 — which severely impacted the command center’s ability to function effectively.

Carriers regularly throttle data during times of network congestions. That was the case even when net neutrality rules were in effect. But the Santa Clara Fire Department said it was being throttled at all times after hitting its 25GB data limit, not just at peak hours.

Under net neutrality regulations, internet users could file a complaint about unreasonable prices or practices with the FCC. With those rules gone, the department has no way of formally contacting the Commission over Verizon’s actions.

Bowden added that the throttling had a “significant impact” on the department’s ability to fight the Mendocino Complex fire — now the largest single wildfire in California history. It also affected other incidents in December and June.

The internet has become an essential tool for fire departments and emergency responders to do their job more effectively. Bowden believes that these types of practices will continue as more carriers “coerce” public safety agencies into signing up for more expensive data plans.

Verizon said in a statement to The Verge that the incident was a “mistake.” The carrier said it regularly lifts data throttling caps during public safety events, and should have done so in this instance.

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