Verizon Public Safety to support Florida and Georgia communities affected by Hurricane Helene

With year-round preparedness, hardened network infrastructure, and an extensive fleet of mobile assets, Verizon’s networks are primed for Hurricane Helene.

To help residents in Florida and Georgia expected to be impacted by Hurricane Helene, Verizon will waive postpaid domestic call/text/data usage from Sept. 26-Oct. 5. This will bring relief to the thousands of customers who rely on their mobile devices now more than ever, especially during this challenging time.

The waiver will apply to all postpaid consumer customers, small business customers*, and Verizon Prepaid customers in the following counties:

• Florida: Alachua, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Pasco, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla.
• Georgia: Atkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Mitchell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth.

Customers do not have to take any action to take advantage of the offer. Any overages for those whose billing cycles have already closed will be automatically credited back.

For prepaid customers using Straight Talk, Tracfone, Wireless , Simple Mobile, Walmart Family Mobile, Net10, GoSmart, and Page Plus, we will extend service end dates to Oct. 5, 2024.

"At Verizon, our dedication to our customers extends far beyond delivering reliable service; it means standing by their side when they need us most,” said Atlantic South Market President, Leigh Anne Lanier. “We recognize the immense challenges our communities are facing as Hurricane Helene prepares to make landfall, and we hope this gesture offers some comfort, allowing our customers to focus on what truly matters during these trying times."

Verizon's networks are primed to maintain connectivity even in the face of extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes. With redundancy built into critical paths and components, Verizon's network is engineered to withstand severe weather. Verizon engineers have prepared by conducting thorough checks, as well as ensuring backup systems, like batteries and generators, are operational and refueled.

One hundred percent of Verizon macro cell sites, which provide large area coverage, have backup battery power and the majority of cell sites in the affected areas in Florida and Georgia. have backup generators. While commercial power is out, Verizon equipment and facilities across the area are being powered by these batteries and generators. Refueling efforts are underway to ensure those generators continue to provide power. Our engineers are confident we have the necessary fuel and crews to keep that operation running 24x7 until that happens.