Data throttling is something most of us have run into and it can be frustrating. Data throttling is when your wireless carrier limits the data to your device when you’ve gone over your paid data for the month. While data throttling isn’t illegal, it can be frustrating in times data is needed the most. This frustration is compounded for emergency workers whose job depends on data.
A new bill in the Texas House of Representatives is proposing making data throttling a crime during a disaster and in designated disaster areas. The bill was introduced due to the throttling issue California firefighters had while battling wildfires. Verizon throttled firefighters data at a time they could absolutely use it. Verizon’s response was to suggest first responders in California purchase an upgraded internet plan.
Because the FCC ended net neutrality, that allowed internet providers to throttle or block access to their networks. The Texas bill is just one of many similar bills that have been proposed around the country.
“The fact that this is now bubbling up at the state level is a good sign. But in reality, we need the FCC to actually do its job and ensure that these companies aren’t acting in ways that put the public in danger.”
Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future
As more and more states propose similar bills, the fight against ISPs is only growing. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out in Texas as well as all over the country.
What are your thoughts on this and the other bills that have been proposed? Do you think data throttling should be illegal in disaster areas? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, or Facebook. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.
[button link=”http://www.kut.org/post/texas-bill-aims-stop-companies-throttling-internet-service-during-disasters” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: KUT News[/button]Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
