Verizon’s consumer chief: Net neutrality ‘went literally nowhere’
Apr 21, 2025
01:12:39
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Quick takeaways
Sowmyanarayan Sampath highlights Verizon's commitment to a streamlined edge network that enhances efficiency across wireless and fiber services.
The CEO discusses the realities of 5G investments, emphasizing efficiency over revolutionary applications and the complexity of network deployment.
Verizon's strategy includes a three-year price lock initiative to improve customer retention and satisfaction amid competitive pricing pressures.
Deep dives
Overview of Verizon's Consumer Business
The CEO of Verizon's Consumer Group explains the structure of the company, highlighting its focus on customer-facing services, including wireless connectivity and fiber broadband. With over 115 million wireless connections and a growing fiber service base, Verizon caters to a significant segment of the American population. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a single intelligent edge network that operates efficiently across different services while avoiding unnecessary costs. This structure allows for streamlined operations and a clear identification of responsibilities within the company.
5G Development and Network Infrastructure
The discussion addresses the significant investment Verizon made in building its 5G network and how this has impacted the capacity for mobile data. The CEO notes that while there was considerable hype around 5G technologies, its benefits lie in adding efficiency to existing infrastructures rather than the revolutionary applications once anticipated. He emphasizes that building a robust network takes years of planning and execution, involving complex negotiations and procurement processes. As 5G deployment continues, Verizon plans to leverage new technologies to remain competitive and enhance service quality.
Customer Retention Strategies
Verizon is actively working on improving customer experience by tackling churn rates and ensuring customer satisfaction. The CEO shares insights derived from customer feedback and data analytics, noting a growing demand for price certainty and flexibility in services. As part of their strategy, Verizon has implemented a three-year price lock initiative to provide consumers with predictable pricing amidst economic uncertainty. This approach is designed to maintain customer loyalty and enhance satisfaction in an environment where competitors offer aggressive pricing options.
Regulatory Challenges and Net Neutrality
The conversation touches on the contentious issue of net neutrality and how Verizon's stance has evolved over the years. The CEO expresses a belief that the regulations do not resolve existing problems and emphasizes the need for network traffic management in congested conditions. He mentions past battles over net neutrality regulations while reassuring that Verizon's goal is to support innovation and maintain a fair marketplace. This position has led the company to challenge regulatory measures it believes to be excessive or unnecessary, while still engaging in constructive discourse with regulators.
Future Directions and Industry Competition
Looking ahead, Verizon plans to continue its focus on expanding consumer services and enhancing its 5G capabilities, while carefully navigating the corporate landscape shaped by regulatory demands. The CEO acknowledges competition from new market entrants and traditional cable players but maintains that Verizon is well-positioned to thrive with its combined offerings of wireless and fiber services. Additionally, he expresses an interest in further exploring partnerships with tech giants to drive new service development. The overarching goal is to optimize network usage, leverage opportunities for monetization, and ensure high-quality service for customers.
As CEO of Verizon's consumer division, Sowmyanarayan Sampath oversees the biggest part of the company, which does business with roughly a third of the entire country. He's a longtime Verge reader, so we talked very directly about whether the huge 5G investment had actually paid off, and whether – whether the “race” we were supposedly in with China was actually worth it, and what kinds of new apps and services actually come to light.
And while Verizon fought tooth and nail against regulations like net neutrality, the current Trump administration isn’t nearly as hands-off when it comes to things like holding up deals because of DEI policies — something that’s happening to Verizon right now. So I had to ask Sampath if he was going to push back on that kind of government overreach as hard as Verizon has in the past.
Links:
The US government makes a $42 million bet on OpenRAN | The Verge
FCC scrutinizes Verizon’s $9.6 billion Frontier deal over DEI | USA Today
Verizon offers a three-year price lock — but there’s a catch | The Verge
T-Mobile updates its DEI policy to get Lumos deal approved | Fierce Network
We don’t need net neutrality; we need competition (2014) | Ars Technica
Wireless and cable industries sue to kill net neutrality (2015) | The Verge
Everything Verizon says in this terrible video against net neutrality (2017) | The Verge
Report: Most Americans have no real choice in internet providers | ILSR
T-Mobile’s merger promises couldn’t make a carrier out of Dish | The Verge
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
