FCC Chairman Voices Concerns Over Verizon's Plan to Throttle Unlimited 4G LTE Customers

Last week Verizon Wireless announced that it would begin throttling 4G LTE unlimited data customers in October. Verizon said that the top 5% of data users (4.7GB+) would see speeds throttled when they were connected to a cell site that was experiencing a heavy load.

Verizon's implementation of 'network optimization' does not sit well with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler who has written a letter to the company on the matter. In his letter, Wheeler says he is 'deeply troubled' by Verizon plans to throttle customers.

"Reasonable network management" concerns the technical management of your network; it is not
a loophole designed to enhance your revenue streams. It is disturbing to me that Verizon Wireless would base its "network management" on distinctions among its customers' data plans, rather than on network architecture or technology.


Wheeler has asked Verizon to answer three specific questions: Why they are treating customers differently based on data plans, Why they are throttling customers on their 4G network which is more efficient and finally, How the company justifies this speed reduction given the agreement Verizon had with the FCC to not deny, limit or restrict the end user when using the C block spectrum.

Years ago, the FCC agreed to hand over 'C Block' spectrum to Verizon, which it currently uses for its 4G LTE Network. Part of the agreement was that Verizon could never limit, deny or restrict the customer from downloading or utilizing that spectrum (which is why many Verizon 4G smartphones and tablets are sold unlocked). As a result, the FCC is now going after Verizon since it agreed to the terms, and has not fought AT&T over the issue, even though AT&T throttles all customers after using 3GB or 5GB.

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