The US mobile phone operator, Verizon, has come under criticism after restricting mobile data access – internet access – on the mobile phones of firefighters battling the largest wildfire in California’s history.
"Verizon imposed these restrictions even though it had been informed that this restriction severely hampered the fire service’s ability to provide essential emergency services" says Tony Bowden, head of the Santa Clara County Fire Department, speaking to our colleagues at theAFP. He claims that the telecoms operator Verizon hampered the work of the firefighters battling the Mendocino Complex Fire north of San Francisco by significantly reducing the internet connection speed on the firefighters’ mobile phones.
Out-of-date internet data
When the fire brigade contacted the operator to inform them of this restriction, a representative replied that the fire service had exceeded its data allowance, suggesting that they take out a new, more expensive subscription, according to the fire chief, as quoted by AFP. Following a statement from the fire service, Verizon admitted on Wednesday that it had made a mistake, and has now lifted the data usage restrictions in emergency situations as normal. "It was a customer service error. We are looking into the matter and will rectify any future issues," the company states in a press release.