Verizon To Limit Speeds Of Heavy Users, "Optimize" Content, Starting Today

In a PDF memo available to view on Verizon's website, the carrier details some changes to its service, which will be enforced starting today. Namely, customers who download an "extraordinary amount of data" will have their service reduced, and a new data optimization method is also being adopted by the network. Here's what Verizon has to say about limiting the speeds of heavy users:

Verizon Wireless strives to provide customers the best experience when using our network, a shared resource among tens of millions of customers. To help achieve this, if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand. Our proactive management of the Verizon Wireless network is designed to ensure that the remaining 95% of data customers aren’t negatively affected by the inordinate data consumption of just a few users.

And, here the carrier details its data optimization method:

We are implementing optimization and transcoding technologies in our network to transmit data files in a more efficient manner to allow available network capacity to benefit the greatest number of users. These techniques include caching less data, using less capacity, and sizing the video more appropriately for the device. The optimization process is agnostic to the content itself and to the website that provides it. While we invest much effort to avoid changing text, image, and video files in the compression process and while any change to the file is likely to be indiscernible, the optimization process may minimally impact the appearance of the file as displayed on your device. For a further, more detailed explanation of these techniques, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/vzwoptimization.

The changes come as Verizon opens pre-orders for the iPhone 4. Obviously, the Verizon iPhone is going to attract a lot of new customers, increasing the amount of pressure Verizon's network is going to be under. The carrier is attempting to ensure "the best experience" possible for all its customers via these changes. Have you pre-ordered a Verizon iPhone yet? Let us know in the comments.