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Verizon Backtracks Slightly In Plan To Kick Customers Off Network (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Verizon Wireless is giving a reprieve to some rural customers who are scheduled to be booted off their service plans, but only in cases when customers have no other options for cellular service. Verizon recently notified 8,500 customers in 13 states that they will be disconnected on October 17 because they used roaming data on another network. But these customers weren't doing anything wrong -- they are being served by rural networks that were set up for the purpose of extending Verizon's reach into rural areas. Today, Verizon said it is extending the deadline to switch providers to December 1. The company is also letting some customers stay on the network -- although they must switch to a new service plan. "If there is no alternative provider in your area, you can switch to the S (2GB), M (4GB), 5GB single-line, or L (8GB) Verizon plan, but you must do so by December 1," Verizon said in a statement released today. These plans range from $35 to $70 a month, plus $20 "line fees" for each line. The 8,500 customers who received disconnection letters have a total of 19,000 lines. Verizon sells unlimited plans in most of the country but said only those limited options would be available to these customers. Verizon also reiterated its promise that first responders will be able to keep their Verizon service even though some public safety officials received disconnection notices. "We have become aware of a very small number of affected customers who may be using their personal phones in their roles as first responders and another small group who may not have another option for wireless service," Verizon said. "After listening to these folks, we are committed to resolving these issues in the best interest of the customers and their communities. We're committed to ensuring first responders in these areas keep their Verizon service."
Verizon never owned those towers or they wouldn't have the issue of data charges coming from them.
All those people have other options. Just not for unlimited.
Verizon is skimming the cream, they're cherry picking, they're looting and pillaging.
Time the government does the same to Verizon by taking away Verizon's bandwidth or increasing the price by 10x. I'm sure Verizon's competitors would love to have this... As a consumer who's watched Verizon pillage for years I would love to see this happen to Verizon.
What's the matter? Wanting to get your CEO another jet or something? Perhaps a golden toilet for his private bathroom in his office?
Here we have a big corporation taking advantage of people with no other options so they can make more money. Just remember. It's being able to buy shit from companies like this that keep you dumb cows placated so that we are not out in the streets slashing each other's throats for dinner. Everybody of course wants to whinge and cry when their throat gets cut.
Are you a parent?
Then your a "First Responder".
It's not backtracking, it's damage control.
I'm rural and I'm in the same boat many people are in. I can't get cable - it ends about 1 mile away from me. I can't get DSL - it ends 3 miles away from me. I can't get Satellite, because hills and trees block the southern horizon. Sprint barely works - we get sub megabit speeds. AT&T works intermittently, with constant voice drop outs. Verizon works - and we get 30 megabits over LTE. But we are limited to our 'unlimited' 15 GB before our speeds are cut to 600kb. The one 'broadband' company near us has an F rating at the better business bureau and is getting sued by the government for misappropriating and stealing grants meant to improve service.
Verizon is our only internet option. I pay over $200 a month for 3 'unlimited' lines. Every month we have to rotate through phones until we use them up.
High speed internet has become a necessity for modern life. Schools in my area *expect* the kids to have high speed access. Their books are on line, as are all their instructional videos for experiments and other homework. Sheduling for after-school activies is ALL done through email, remind, and mass-text.
Our government has failed us. More specifically, the FCC. The continue to ignore local monopolies and stand by while companies like Verizon shut down local internet shops and municipal broad band through lawsuits. I'm tired of it, but there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. Oh, I've called my congressmen and senators. I've commented during the FTC review period - which they ignore in its entirety.
Ajit Pai is the biggest stinking pile of shit to ever work in our government.
(Yeah I know this is roaming, not sure how much of below applies. I still suspect more than I think.)
...but ... once you egress and traverse the general internet Suddenly It's Not! Almost like the wireless part itself doesn't matter.
I'm on the old (the OLD) unlimited employee plan. I pay $75.odd final for a single line and have downloaded 96GB this month, slightly higher than usual. I hear they kill anybody at over100 so I'm leaving the remainder alone until the end of the cycle (days)
Instead, these people should watch all of go90 (free bandwidth) and use Stream Pass (a Free Sports Package for go90 That Includes Free NBA League Pass)
Kinda funny how the wireless bandwidth to the tower is free or not DEPENDING ON YOUR ENDING-SITE. If you stay within their (V's) overall network It's All Free!
For these roaming people, V should honor the contract. If the users pay an early termination fee, V should pay THEM for disconnecting. And support the lines until the end of the contract (1/2 yrs) After that though, the users need to get a new contract or (like me) they're depending on Vs good will to carry them forward.
If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
Instead of kicking customers out, expand your own network. In fact, do that everywhere instead of punishing people for using it.
If cellular bandwidth is so limited in these rural areas, why not just throttle customers after a certain amount of usage, or apply QoS during periods of heavy usage on the tower? You would think Verizon would be able to figure out a solution that doesn't involve kicking off paying customers.
Talk about imaginative billing. How about a "milk maid feed"? Arguably there is a lot of milking going on in those rural areas by Verizon.
F**k Verizon and the monopoly they rode in on.
*It's not like customers are getting a great deal here. Roaming charges aren't cheap and I'm sure most customers would rather get Verizon native service.
Have gnu, will travel.