Calif. senators urge FCC, mobile providers to guarantee service to first responders

U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) are asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) along with leading mobile providers to guarantee service to first responders during emergencies.

The California senators also asked the mobile service providers – specifically Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and
T-Mobile — to clarify policies regarding unlimited data plans.

The issue came to light during a recent fire in Mendocino, California. The senators said that Verizon restricted data speeds for the Santa Clara Fire Department (SCFD), despite the fact the department had purchased an unlimited data plan.

“We remain concerned that SCFD may have been told that their plan was ‘unlimited,’ only because they could continue to purchase more data once they hit their data caps,” Feinstein and Harris wrote in the letter to Verizon. “If this was the case, then this strikes us as disingenuous marketing. By this logic, any restaurant with a menu is a ‘buffet.’ While we appreciate that Verizon has made a promise to lift data caps on its public safety customers in the event of a future disaster, we would like to know more about how this came about in the first place, and Verizon’s specific plans to ensure that it won’t happen again.”

The senators also sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, requesting that he reach out to the mobile providers to get answers on data caps and other restrictions they have on first responders.

“Our first responders should have the communications tools they need to effectively protect our communities, regardless of their Internet Service provider,” the senators wrote.