Verizon has announced today an expansion of sorts related to the discounted plans it already offers government agencies. Now, the carrier is taking that benefit and applying it to the personal phone plans of first responders, who can sign up for special plans from the company.
The discounted plans are available to both current and retired first responders as well as volunteers who will now be able to save more on their personal Verizon Unlimited plans. Starting today, according to the carrier, those customers can sign up for a Go Unlimited plan for just 30 bucks per line per month for four lines when they enroll in Auto Pay. That represents a savings of $40 per month. Those first responders can also save more on all Verizon Unlimited consumer plans in order to stay connected with family — they can get $15 off one line, $35 off two lines and $40 off three or more lines.
Verizon says the new first responder discount on consumer unlimited plans also complements the carrier’s first responder and public safety plan for government agencies, which was made available to national and state contract procurement offices in August. To get the discount, if you’re a first responder you’ll have to log into your My Verizon account and upload the proper documentation or visit a Verizon store to sign up.
Verizon senior vice president Mike Maiorana said this is the company’s way of “saying thank you for putting their lives on the line and keeping us safe.” Of course, this does come a few months after the carrier landed in hot water when it was discovered that emergency responders fighting fires in California were having their unlimited plans throttled.
Moreover, as we reported here, Verizon was apparently taking the opportunity to try to move one fire department to a slightly pricier plan. The fire department (in Santa Clara County) thought that they had a completely unlimited plan with no throttling, so they were understandably confused when the speeds were slowed all the way down.
Verizon later told us there was a communications snafu on their end that led to this problem, and that they’d make sure it never happens again.
