A South Bay Fire Chief is accusing Verizon of trying to coerce fire departments to pay more for high speed data during fire emergencies.
Santa Clara County Fire Chief Tony Bowden says Verizon slowed its service while it was helping fight the Mendocino Complex wildfires and tried to triple the charges on its wireless data plan to resume higher speeds.
A Verizon official says it was just a "customer support mistake" and it has a policy of lifting speed restrictions during emergencies.
But in a federal court brief in support of net neutrality, Chief Bowden says he believes Verizon will continue to use "emergencies and catastrophic events to coerce public agencies into higher-cost plans."
2018 California Wildfire Coverage
By iHeartMedia