Verizon boosts Fios remote tech support during coronavirus to help troubleshoot issues
Fixing service issues without having to come into your home.
Verizon's latest update looks to boost tech support while still keep a social distance.
Verizon is adding a new tool to its Fios tech support options as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep people on lockdown around the US: virtual support.
Partnering with a company called TechSee, Verizon will use rear cameras on users' phones or tablets to help provide assistance and troubleshooting remotely, helping solve connectivity issues without having to send a technician inside people's homes.
The technology being used by Verizon has already been in place around the world, with Vodafone NZ sharing a video in 2018 of how it uses the TechSee service to help fix a router issue, circling and highlighting where things should be plugged in while also providing guidance over the phone to assist you in fixing the problem.
As demoed in its own video, Verizon will send a technician to the site and then send the customer a text message that can open a page in their phone's browser. Using the user's rear camera, the technician can see what is going on while still being stationed outside.
If the repair requires new hardware, like a replacement battery backup, the technician can drop off the piece at the customer's door and then continue guiding the repair from a safe distance.
On its coronavirus site, Verizon says that it will "repair services up to where the service enters your location," so if there is a wiring issue outside your home the company will still send a technician to come and repair it. New installations can still be requested, but they will "be held for future installation on a priority basis."