Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile take on California wildfires

Since last Tuesday, the wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least ten people, destroyed tens of thousand of acres and thousands of structures, and resulted in a damage and economic loss between $60 and $130 billion, according to CBS News.

As firefighters and first responders continue to battle the wildfires, the nation's three major wireless carriers have launched initiatives to provide residents with access to Wi-Fi and charging stations, deploy temporary mobile assets and prioritize connectivity to emergency responders.

Here's a look at each carrier's response to the wildfires:

Verizon

Verizon said the company is waiving domestic call/text/data usage incurred between January 9 to January 18 for prepaid and postpaid consumer and small business customers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura Counties.

As of Sunday, the service provider said it had restored a majority of the sites impacted by the wildfires, windstorms and public safety power shutoffs. Verizon's crews are sending temporary mobile assets to support fire base camps and portable generators to address coverage gaps from commercial power loss. Verizon has over 550 mobile assets and about 300 satellite-based assets.

Residents can also access free charging and Wi-Fi at Verizon stores. A generator-powered mobile unit, the Wireless Emergency Communication Center (WECC), has been deployed to provide device charging, Wi-Fi and cellular access to connect with friends and family. Wi-Fi and charging stations are also available at American Red Cross Shelters.

In 2024, the Verizon Frontline emergency response team provided nearly 2,000 Verizon Frontline solutions to fire camps in 14 states to provide public safety agencies with voice and data services during wildfires.

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