NEW YORK (AP) – T-Mobile has introduced a program that lets most customers watch video without using up their data allotment.
The free program, called Binge On, is available to those who have data plans of at least 3 gigabytes. T-Mobile also reduces video quality – even for customers who don’t qualify for free video streaming – saying that phone screens are too small for viewers to discern the higher resolution, which uses more data. Customers can choose the full resolution, but they would then pay for the data.
Because the program works with only two dozen leading video services – Facebook and YouTube are excluded – it has drawn complaints from advocates of net neutrality, the concept that Internet service providers shouldn’t discriminate in favor of some content over others. The Federal Communications Commission is taking a look.
Some video providers are upset, too. YouTube says that “reducing data charges can be good for users, but it doesn’t justify throttling all video services, especially without explicit user consent.”
Here’s a look at what’s going on at T-Mobile: