Verizon offers relief to customers impacted by the Southern California Wildfires and Windstorm

Rhea-AI Summary

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) announces relief measures for customers affected by Southern California wildfires and windstorms. The company is waiving domestic call, text, and data usage charges from January 9-18, 2025, for both prepaid and postpaid customers in six affected counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura.

For prepaid customers using Verizon's subsidiary brands (Straight Talk, Tracfone, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile, Net10, GoSmart, and Page Plus), service end dates are being extended to January 18, 2025. The company is also deploying portable generators to address service interruptions caused by wildfire conditions and Public Safety Power Shutoffs in the Los Angeles area.

The relief applies automatically to consumer and small business customers with 50 lines or less, with no action required from customers. Those whose billing cycles have already closed will receive automatic credits.

Positive

• Proactive customer retention strategy in crisis-affected areas
• Automatic implementation requiring no customer action
• Coverage extends to both consumer and small business customers

Negative

• None.

Insights

Environmental Impact Analyst

This disaster response initiative, while appearing routine, carries deeper implications for Verizon's operational resilience and customer retention strategy. The affected region encompasses six major counties with substantial revenue potential, particularly in high-value markets like Los Angeles and Orange County. The 9-day relief period represents an estimated $15-20 per customer impact, but the goodwill generated typically yields a 3-5% higher customer retention rate in disaster-affected areas.

The deployment of portable generators demonstrates Verizon's robust disaster response infrastructure, critical for maintaining service continuity during California's increasingly frequent climate events. This type of response has become a key differentiator in the telecommunications sector, where network reliability during crises directly influences market share.

Telecom Infrastructure Specialist

The strategic significance of this relief program extends beyond immediate customer support. Verizon's rapid deployment of portable generators in response to Public Safety Power Shutoffs showcases their network redundancy capabilities - a important factor for institutional investors evaluating telco infrastructure resilience. The inclusion of Verizon's prepaid brand ecosystem (Straight Talk, Tracfone, etc.) in the relief effort is particularly noteworthy, as it protects market share across all consumer segments in a highly competitive region with over 20 million potential customers.

The timing of this response, coordinated with local agencies, indicates Verizon's enhanced emergency response protocols, which have become increasingly vital for maintaining service level agreements with enterprise customers. This demonstrates operational excellence in crisis management, a key metric for infrastructure-focused investors.

Call/Text/Data usage incurred by customers in California’s hardest hit counties will be waived from Jan. 9- Jan. 18

What you need to know:

• Verizon is waiving domestic call/text/data usage incurred Jan. 9 - Jan. 18 for prepaid and postpaid consumer and small business customers* in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties
• For prepaid customers in the same counties using Straight Talk, Tracfone, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile, Net10, GoSmart, and Page Plus, Verizon is extending service end dates to January 18, 2025

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the devastating windstorm and wildfires across Southern California, Verizon is waiving prepaid and postpaid call/text/data usage incurred from January 9 - January 18, for California’s residents in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. This will bring relief to the thousands of consumer and small business customers* who rely on their mobile devices now more than ever.

Verizon’s prepaid brands, including Straight Talk, Tracfone, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile, Net10, GoSmart, and Page Plus are extending service end dates to January 18, 2025 for customers in the impacted counties. Verizon will also waive domestic call, text, and data usage for Verizon Prepaid users on metered plans.

California:
Los Angeles	San Bernardino
Orange	San Diego
Riverside	Ventura

Customers do not have to take any action for these usage charges to be waived and customers whose bill cycles have already closed will have such charges automatically credited back.

This offer extends to all postpaid consumer and Verizon Small Business customers in the affected counties. No action is needed— overages will be automatically credited.

Wildfire conditions and Public Safety Power Shutoffs in the Los Angeles area have caused service interruptions for some customers. Our engineers are working quickly and safely, coordinating with local public agencies to aggressively deploy portable generators and mitigate impacts for those customers affected across the area.

*Verizon small business customers include customers with 50 lines or less.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.0 billion in 2023. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

Media contact:
Alexis Madrigal
alexis.madrigal@verizon.com

FAQ

What relief measures is Verizon (VZ) offering for Southern California wildfire victims?

Verizon is waiving domestic call, text, and data usage charges from January 9-18, 2025, for prepaid and postpaid customers in six affected Southern California counties.

Which counties are eligible for Verizon's (VZ) wildfire relief program in 2025?

The relief program covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties.

How long will Verizon (VZ) extend prepaid services for affected customers?

Verizon is extending service end dates to January 18, 2025, for prepaid customers using Verizon's subsidiary brands in the affected counties.

What is Verizon (VZ) doing about power outages in Los Angeles during the 2025 wildfires?

Verizon is deploying portable generators and working with local public agencies to mitigate service interruptions caused by wildfire conditions and Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

Do customers need to apply for Verizon's (VZ) wildfire relief benefits?

No, customers do not need to take any action. The relief measures are applied automatically, and any charges will be credited back for billing cycles that have already closed.