Federal Communications Commission

Washington, D.C.

20554

July 30, 2014 Mr. Daniel S. Mead

Presidentand CEO

Verizon W irel ess One Verizo n W ay

Basking Ridge NJ 07920

Dear Mr. Mead:

I am deeply troubled by your July

25 ,

2014 announcem ent that Verizon W irel ess intends to slow down some customers' data speeds on your 4G LTE netw ork starti ng in October 20 14.1 Your web site

explained that this was an extension of your Network Optim ization policy, which, according to your

website, appli es only to customers with unli mited data plans. Specif icall y, Verizon Wireless manage Es]

data connection speeds for a small subset of customers - the top

5

of data users on unlimited data plans in places and at t imes when the network is experienci ng high demand.2 Verizon Wireless describes its Network Optimization as network management. 3 Reasonable network management concerns the technical management of your network; it i s not

a loophole designed to enhance your revenue streams. It is disturbing to me that Verizon Wireless would base its network m anagement on di stinctions among its custo mers' data plans, rather than on netwo rk architecture or tec hnology. The Comm ission has defined a network management practice to be

reasonable if it i s appropriate and tail ored to achieving a legi timate network management purpose, taking into account the particular network architecture and technology of the broadband Internet access service. 4 Such legitimate network managem ent purposes could include: ensuri ng network security and integrity, including by addressing traffic that is harmful to the network; addressing traffic that is unwanted by end users (including by premise operators), such as by providing services or capabilities consistent with an end user's choices regarding parental controls or security capabilities; and reducing or mitigating the effects of congestion on the network.5 I know o f no past Com mission statement that would treat as reasonable network management a decision to sl ow traffi c to a user who has paid, af ter al l, f or unlimited service. Accordingly, pleas e provide m e with responses to the foll owing questions:

I h ttrI/www .verizonwir e1ess.comInews /article '0 14 it7 ietwork-o rtimization.htnl

2 h.//www.yerizonwirel ess.comlsupr t/infor mation/datajis closure. html

3h tt//www.verizonwireless .com /supirt/infor mationIdatajiis closure.ht ml

4Preserving the Open Internet,