Verizon Wireless is dropping customers in rural areas who are using “too much data,” even though they are enrolled in unlimited plans, reported KUTV.
Verizon recently notified certain customers residing in rural Roosevelt, Utah via letter, that contracts are being terminated due to high roaming fees being incurred by the company.
The cause for the high fees? Verizon doesn’t own any cell phone towers in Roosevelt (and other rural areas), so it’s losing money, citing roaming fees as the main concern, a Verizon spokesperson said. “This is a cost versus revenue decision,” they said.
Verizon has extended the October 17 termination date noted in its letter to customers, pushing it out to December 1, and requiring customers to find an alternate service provider.
An excerpt from the letter reads:
“During a recent review of customer accounts, we discovered you are using a significant amount of data while roaming off the Verizon Wireless network. While we appreciate you choosing Verizon, after October 17, 2017, we will no longer offer service for the numbers listed above since your primary place of use is outside the Verizon service area.”
And it’s not just Utah. Verizon is tearing up contracts in rural communities all over the country, affecting 8,500 customers across 13 states. Besides Utah, the states affected include Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.
October 26, 2017
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