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Facing 'Net Neutrality' Criticism, Verizon Suddenly Lifts Data Caps On All Public Safety Workers (siliconvalley.com)
An anonymous reader writes:
Verizon testified Friday before a California State Assembly committee about why its "throttling" of county firefighters was completely unrelated to net neutrality. Then they surprised everyone by announcing that they were lifting all data caps on public safety workers with unlimited data plans, including federal justice agencies like the FBI, CIA and Secret Service.
Verizon claimed this was completely unrelated to the fact that 13 California Congressmen are now demanding that the FTC investigate Verizon's throttling of firefighters battling California's 290,692-acre wildfire. "It is unacceptable for communications providers to deceive their customers," the Congressmen wrote, "but when the consumer in question is a government entity tasked with fire and emergency services, we can't afford to wait a moment longer."
Meanwhile, the California Professional Firefighters, which represents more than 30,000 firefighters and emergency personnel, came out in support of a strict new California law that restores net neutrality provisions, saying their group had "come to conclude that if net neutrality is not restored, the effect could be disastrous to the public's safety."
One county fire chief even testified this was the third time in eight months they've been throttled by Verizon.
Verizon claimed this was completely unrelated to the fact that 13 California Congressmen are now demanding that the FTC investigate Verizon's throttling of firefighters battling California's 290,692-acre wildfire. "It is unacceptable for communications providers to deceive their customers," the Congressmen wrote, "but when the consumer in question is a government entity tasked with fire and emergency services, we can't afford to wait a moment longer."
Meanwhile, the California Professional Firefighters, which represents more than 30,000 firefighters and emergency personnel, came out in support of a strict new California law that restores net neutrality provisions, saying their group had "come to conclude that if net neutrality is not restored, the effect could be disastrous to the public's safety."
One county fire chief even testified this was the third time in eight months they've been throttled by Verizon.
Then the caps come back. For now, though, they are on the run. Keep the pressure up, americans!
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
Its amazinf to have all if the unlimited data plans ehrn they technically are max-cap and throttle plans.
The man is not held accountable.
Good for them for doing this, but it's worth pointing out that the upcoming FirstNet infrastructure (and AT&T won the contract) should hopefully mitigate the chances of this affecting responders like this again in the years to come.
It was bad (and bad PR) for Verizon to let this happen in the first place; given that alone, hopefully it won't happen again.
Hire a Linux system administrator, systems engineer,
It wouldn't be the first time politics caused a change unrelated to the problem. Don't get me wrong, Net Neutrality is the correct path for the internet, but it has nothing to do with throttling when your data runs out.
Well almost nothing, if you could still access Netflix at full rate, while out of data, then yes, that is a Net Neutrality violation.
Overall I'm fine with public safety workers getting no data caps, as long as all providers do it. It just means less taxes being paid to pay the public safety workers cell phone contracts, but possibly higher internet bills to pay for the bandwidth used. In short, it probably doesn't change much, and is probably a small net positive.
"It is unacceptable for communications providers to deceive their customers," the Congressmen wrote, "but when the consumer in question is a government entity tasked with fire and emergency services, we can't afford to wait a moment longer."
Yes we know, you should be ashamed that you deceived yoru citizen customers but HOW DARE you deceive the government or its entities!
Fun fact, had those millions of other "deceptions" been looked at by the government that cares so much we would not need something like this to get our attention. There is a reason why politicians do not really care that much about their voters.
Why after getting screwed by a company three times in 8 months are you still thier customer?
Yes we know, you should be ashamed that you deceived yoru citizen customers but HOW DARE you deceive the government or its entities!
I'm not sure they really did deceive their government customers here. I thought they knew it was an ordinary contract. If your saying the people who bought the contract saw "unlimited" and expected unlimited, well yah I admit I didn't think of that as deception in today's terms. I just thought it was business as usual and not really ranking it up there with a big problem.
Here is a thought. Perhaps the average company's deceptive tactics have a use. Perhaps it is a small bit of training for the average American at spotting bullshit. It is a skill that it seems some significant part of 62,984,828 people need. It's a pity that it's gonna take a lot more training, but perhaps the remedial lessons are beginning to slower sink in.
I thought net neutrality had to do with throttling based on destination, rather than on monthly usage. Which situation happened to the firefighters?
with unlimited data plans?? so the ones that moved to pay per GB will not be able to go back?
Enjoy Trump having several new assholes torn into his flabby ass by Mueller, faggot nazi traitors lol! HIS LAWYER AND BOOKKEEPER BOTH HAVE IMMUNITY LOL!!! PRISON FOR THE GERMAPHOBE!!! LOL!!!
This was really a missed opportunity for Verizon. They should have made a lack of data cap for public safety workers a selling feature. How many more options would they pick up if they had done it that way in the first place.
Seriously.
Awk! Pieces of eight. Pieces of eight. Pieces of seven... ERROR: General Protection Fault. [Paroty Error.]
Here's another deception. California is about to pass Network Neutrality state-wide w a bill: SB822. So what does the telecom industry do?
If you said lie to panic elderly people, you are correcto!.
From state senator Scott Weiner: "We're now dealing with a straight-up misinformation campaign on our #NetNeutrality bill, #SB822: industry robo-calls to seniors falsely telling them that protecting net neutrality will increase their phone bills by $30. Scaring seniors w lies about their financial security? Gross"
Net Neutrality or not.
"Average Internet Trolls" call only for Allah's avengence. True "Internet Trolls" rejoice in the just death of John McCain, manipulator of masses and torturer of millions.
In this way, trolls and non-trolls unite this day in celebration for mankind, irregardless of belief or irregardless of religion or irregardless of George W. Bush neoconservative standpoint.
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And it seems like they're dumping everything into the cause now, just in the hopes of preventing an even bigger disaster.
The internet is to be treated as a utility?
Well, guess what, if you don't pay your water bill you might have your water cut off, and if you don't pay your electricity bill you might have your electricity cut off.
And when cutting off is legal, then it would obviously be fully legal, if practically possible, to reduce someone's water and electricity to a trickle instead of cutting it off altogether.
It was obviously not a "net neutrality" issue. The mob doesn't care. Reality becomes what it needs to be.
>"It is unacceptable for communications providers to deceive their customers[...]"
And for the third time (on Slashdot).... this has NOTHING to do with net neutrality. The data speed is not being altered based on where the data is going or coming from; it is completely neutral, based on a non-secret cap. Data caps are on nearly all "unlimited" data plans with all wireless carriers (and most wired carriers too). Just because it is a government agency that didn't read or perhaps understand their contracts before signing them doesn't make it any more deceiving than for anyone else. But.... but.... "save the children!!!!"
Per what is now apparently the industry standard definition, "unlimited data" does not mean "unlimited speed" across the "unlimited" data, it just means data service will not be cut off or incur extra charges at some point during the billing cycle. If they don't like that, then work out a deal on a different data plan, or work with the FTC to change or clarify the meaning of "unlimited data" and force all the carriers to call it something else.
You really shouldn't get to advertise " Unlimited " plans, then ( via extra fine print on page 936 of the user agreement )
turn around and throttle the bandwidth into the ground so as to make the entire service completely useless. ( God forbid
you actually USE your " Unlimited " plan as unlimited. )
It's akin to being sold a Ferrari with all that horsepower available to it, but being forced to drive it like a Prius. :|
I also find it amusing that this is only an issue because it's Firefighters. ( Or any profession that the public is constantly :| )
reminded to refer to as " Heroic ". Don't get me started on that one.
Congress could give two shits about Verizon screwing over the general public every day with the very same policies, but if you do it to
$heroic_profession, ( or a Congress type ) all of a sudden it's a big fucking deal and everyone runs in little circles demanding answers.
I WOOD LUV2.
u name WHEN and WHERE. I are mental weetod & n-joy diz kinda dreedmint
"BEUHD"
They apparently didn't have the best unlimited, but now they do. Unlimited, unlimited, UNLIMITED! Seriously, the main problem is almost no one is up front about what customers are really are buying, details are buried deep in fine print. This wouldn't be a problem if they called a 10GB data plan with a throttle cap what it was instead of unlimited. Throttling is a limit. Advertisers purposefully make the language confusing to make it seem like you get more than you really do. Force advertising to be up front and not misleading, make your data usage status even more convientntly accessed, screw them if it's not as profitable.
It's almost like some kind of invisible hand corrected a problem with zero government intervention!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Unlike you nerds, Women are actually going to listen to what these guys have to say on the matter.
Suddenly there are millions of safety workers.
Another fakedick non-Beau, it's sad and amazing at the same time that he's such a threat to your childish nazi fantasies that you... dress up in his clothes and try to be him? That's just weird, a bit homo-erotic.
Why don't you just ask him out?
See subject: Your MASSIVE FAIL in this life is you're nothing more than a chattering little do-nothing "ne'er-do-well" online & you know it...
* Is that the best your "phantasyland FAKE NAME" (for your fake lie of a so-called 'life') can manage?
When a FAKE NAME do nothing like YOU does better than I have? Then talk (you're all talk & no action)...
You can't help you're an immature little BUTTHURT no-mind, lol! I blew you away in TONS OF PLACES and easily dust your no-mind bullshit blatherings.
APK
P.S.=> The TRUE PRICE of your UNIDENTIFIABLE FAKE NAME do-nothing selves like you that I can ALWAYS CASH IN ON (lol) is that I can use FACT/TRUTH on them to SHATTER their all TOO fragile delusional egos that they actually know A DAMN THING in computing, lol... apk
See subject & you do-nothing soyboy "ne'er-do-wells" are too COWARDLY and EFFEMINATE to ban bump stocks. This would be REAL SECURITY that would put an end to mass shootings. The estrogen in soy milk makes all of you too cowardly to BAN BUMP STOCKS.
* The NRA is supported by George Soros, the Russian government, Jews, and their allies in the Vatican. The Vatican has MEDDLED in our elections to support Hillary Clinton and OPPOSE any form of GUN CONTROL. They work with the Jewish elites in the United States to add SOY MILK to our foods, containing ESTROGEN and making our men EFFEMINATE.
A ban on bump stocks would have STOPPED many recent MASS SHOOTINGS including at the Waffle House, Las Vegas, Parkland, and so many other places. It is TRULY PATHETIC that you SOYBOY WEASELS insist on keeping bump stocks legal. A ban on bump stocks will STOP MASS SHOOTINGS just like my HOSTS FILE ENGINE is a cure-all for INTERNET SECURITY.
Losers like Coren22, arth1, Zontar The Mindless, AssFux (lol), and so many more of you UNIDENTIFIABLE FAKE NAME losers attack me relentlessly for telling the TRUTH. It takes a REAL MAN like me to continually dust all of you you weasels, while you LIE and ACCUSE me of evil criminal acts. You are INCAPABLE of accepting the TRUTH that BUMP STOCKS MUST BE BANNED.
APK
P.S.=> I will continue to DUST your feeble arguments and SWOOP IN wherever you UNIDENTIFIABLE WEASELS keep lying and trolling. You are truly a sad and pathetic sight to see... apk
See subject: Don't worry - the "Golden Calf" of your shekels dries up! I give folks what they want vs. your machinations, lol & THUS I always will win... & you KNOW it.
* Heck - you're PROVING IT via your EASILY NULLIFIED "Bitch Tactics 'efforts'" which I easily prove are you in seconds by posting your PUNY threats... lmao!
(You really ARE too STUPID to live... time to FIRE UP THE OVENS again & Zyklon B showers).
Ever see Dr, Strange? Keep it up, that's EXACTLY what I want "JudenMammu" - you're MY prisoner.
LASTLY Don't speak for "Everyone" JUDE - you're the HATED minority ALL THRU HISTORY only fooling YOURSELVES, lol - self deluded morons & thieves.
APK
P.S.=> Dance little Jude, dance - to MY TUNE as I see you lose all that STOLEN GOLD/SHEKELS, lol - slowly (oh, SO slowly, painfully, as your kind fell into your OWN trap of debt, lol)... apk
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APK
P.S.=> I use Firefox on Linux & it works like a DREAM w/ hosts. You stupid níggers can benefit from my greatness as God's gift to you... apk
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Your premise that hostfiles are a good way to deal with advertising and malvertising is quite valid - by JazzLad April 20, 2016
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APK
P.S.=> For a faster/safer/more reliable internet. Even you stupid níggers can benefit from my greatness. God's gift to Slashdot will NEVER be silenced... apk
Those robocalls sure increase profits!
"Verizon introduced caps for the firefighters at the same time as they stopped network neutrality. That is the basis for the lawsuit demanding the reintroduction of net neutrality."
Since the carriers were able to get away with killing NN, they felt they could get away with a lot of other things as well.
NN is only the tip of the iceberg of the problems in need of attention, but since it is the visible part, everything gets lumped into it.
For steering this iceberg, a useful question is where would competition put us?
If we are going to have this regulatory provided monopoly, then the regs supporting it should move towards that place.
Sadly, regulatory capture seems to do the opposite.
Preferential treatment of data is what net neutrality is meant to fight. Picking and choosing which services (in this case, public safety workers) is exactly what goes against net neutrality. If it's neutral they would remove ALL data caps for ALL users for ALL services - that's the only definition of "net neutrality."
Why anyone would believe that net neutrality would fix this is beyond me. There is a finite amount of bandwidth available. That's a simple technological fact. So if, in fact, net neutrality is what proponents say it is and all content is treated equally, then nobody gets a fast lane including public safety users. So, in this case, public safety users have to share the limited bandwidth with everybody else especially thousands of people wanting to stream live video of the event. But if net neutrality gives some regulatory entity the power to adjust the quality-of-service (most routers have this feature) of one type of user's bandwidth, then it really isn't neutral at all.
The fact that a dedicated network to handle public safety traffic is being built tells you that net neutrality won't solve the problem.
Confessing to "crimes" and "violations" that simply don't exist. Even corporations are now getting into the act - responding to criticism that simply doesn't apply.
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Impersonating me? Get a life already, freak!
APK
P.S.=> Unbelievable anyone wastes their life & time the way you do impersonating me & for what? Does it STOP me from posting?? No... apk
Impersonating me? Get a life already, freak!!!
APK
P.S.=> Unbelievable anyone wastes their life & time the way you do impersonating me & for what? Does it STOP me from posting?? No... apk
I'm not, it's an a-hole impersonating me & I tell him off (going on for months now) https://yro.slashdot.org/comme... (the loser resorts to impersonating me when he fails taking me down technically).
APK
P.S.=> The "price of fame" is JEALOUS "Lil' Jowies" that WISH they could do well STALKING you (& everyone knows they do by UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous to me) OR IMPERSONATING you... apk
mpersonating me? Get a life already, freak!!
APK
P.S.=> Unbelievable anyone wastes their life & time the way you do impersonating me & for what? Does it STOP me from posting?? No... apk
"One county fire chief even testified this was the third time in eight months they've been throttled by Verizon."
Maybe watch less porn on the phone?
"Data caps on unlimited plans" sounds so ridiculous
Maybe they should reduce their data footprint? Analyze their data usage and try to optimize it better. e.g. Does Toby really need to watch 4K porn for 10 minutes in the bathroom on his high density Android phone? That happened once to, umm, a friend.
Suddenly. You fucking extorted firefighters who were doing their fucking job saving peoples lives. You scum.
Think of how long it would have taken to reverse this policy if it was required from NN laws. It's a good thing Verizon has the flexibility of the free market to respond to the public without having to go through bureaucracy hell to do anything!
Small, Medium, and Large plans all refer to the amount of data (2GB, 8GB, 16GB, etc), nothing to do with speed so I don't understand why so many still have such difficulty grasping that Unlimited also refers to data. But, at this point, the confusion's gone on long enough that I give up. Let's just make the Unlimited plan be renamed to "25GB 4G Speed + Unlimited 1x Speed" and call it a day. Nevermind that your average consumer will still complain, saying , "I thought that meant you get unlimited one times speed, and there were better plans were you get unlimited double speed!" Put the actual Mbps on the plan name instead. Now every customer is calling in complaining that their plan name is a bunch of numbers they don't understand. God forbid anyone just actually read the plan they're buying instead of just expecting the title to relay every minutia of it. I also just love how the fire department adds that Verizon throttled them 3 times, as if that's repeated slights from their ISP and not them repeatedly failing to realize they needed a different plan.