Verizon will not slow down 4G networks

Mounting public pressure has moved Verizon to change their mind about throttling speeds for their unlimited data plan mobile customers.  There has been quite a bit of press related to poor customer satisfaction and even public letters between Verizon and the FCC regarding the data throttling announcement.  But on the afternoon of October 1st, Verizon announced they would not be throttling their 4G users because:

This afternoon Verizon announced they’d be backing away from this policy.  According to their statement:

We’ve greatly valued the ongoing dialogue over the past several months concerning network optimization and we’ve decided not to move forward with the planned implementation of network optimization for 4G LTE customers on unlimited plans. Exceptional network service will always be our priority and we remain committed to working closely with industry stakeholders to manage broadband issues so that American consumers get the world-class mobile service they expect and value.

Good old competition in the mobile industry is likely a driver where the battle for subscribers is heating up with cell companies offering “double your data” plans.  Also, satisfying the FCC’s concerns about the throttling might help Verizon’s relationship with the FCC while they are gathering comments about the charging content providers for a faster Internet pipe to their subscribers.  There are likely several more reasons for this move by Verizon, like needing to improve their customer satisfaction ratings, but it is good nonetheless.

There is the possibility that fixed broadband services could also see some kind of throttling, not just related to Netflix.  The competition in fixed broadband for homes is not really that great.  The Dayton region really only has two competitors, AT&T and Time Warner Cable.  Increasing that competition for home broadband is one of the objectives of Extra Mile Fiber.  Bringing gigabit speeds through fiber broadband to neighborhoods in the Dayton region would be a solid benefit to residents and the region as a whole.