I can jump off my third-floor balcony, but I won’t because it would just make an absolute mess. The fact that I won’t do it doesn’t negate my ability to do it. This is a distinction that apparently eludes the folks at Verizon Wireless.

BuzzMachine’s Jeff Jarvis is finding this out the hard way, as he’s simply trying to get VZW to give him a SIM card to let his new Nexus 7 work on the Verizon network.

Verizon has repeatedly told him that it simply can not do this because that device doesn’t work on its network. This is not true, and Jarvis has proven this by taking the Verizon SIM card from his Chromebook and, voila!, he has a working Nexus 7. Of course, this means his Chromebook is now longer functional until he replaces the SIM.

Attempts to talk sense to everyone from Verizon’s Twitter support to its media relations executives have all hit the same wall, with Jarvis being told over and over again that the device won’t work, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.

After being told that “it can not be activated,” he replied, “‘Cannot'” is a lie. ‘Will not’ is truthful — and the violation of the FCC regulations.”

Specifically, he’s referring to the law that says spectrum licensees “shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice on the licensee’s C Block network, except: (1) Insofar as such use would not be compliant with published technical standards reasonably necessary for the management or protection of the licensee’s network, or (2) As required to comply with statute or applicable government regulation.”

With Verizon unwilling to listen to reason or the law, Jarvis has filed a complaint with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. All because Verizon apparently refuses to admit that the device will work on its network.

Verizon, caught red-handed [BuzzMachine]

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