Being "grandfathered" into an unlimited data plan is a common reason for customers to stick with a carrier whose service they otherwise hate, and Verizon just came very close to shooting itself in the foot with those users.
The US carrier was until very recently planning to start throttling these users and slowing down their data speeds.
This isn't surprising coming from a company whose CEO said last year that unlimited data is unsustainable for carriers.
But it is surprising that the carrier changed its mind now, just as the "network optimization" measures were scheduled to go into effect.
Don't throttle me, bro
"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," the carrier said in a statement.
"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," it continued.
We won't look a gift horse in the mouth, though it probably would have been better for Verizon if they had nixed this plan months ago, before its customers and even the FCC got mega pissed about it.
As it is the carrier will have a fun time trying to fix its image back up, especially in the face of well-regarded and comparatively savvy competitors like T-Mobile.
Via The Verge
