Net Neutrality

T-Mobile’s new "unlimited" data plan may breach US net neutrality rules, campaigners have said.

17:51 22 August 2016

T-Mobile has announced on Thursday its new “unlimited” data plan. Under the said plan, subscribers will get unlimited of everything – talk, text and high-speed smartphone data” for $70 a month.

 

The company said that T-Mobile One was a "radically simple subscription to the mobile Internet. One low price. Unlimited everything. That's it. It doesn't get any simpler than that".

 

However, it only includes standard definition video and customers who want high definition have to pay an extra $25 per month. The company added that those who use more than 26 gigabytes per month "may notice relatively slower speeds but only at specific times and places that may experience high, competing network demand or congestion".

 

Jeremy Gillula, the senior technologist at the foundation (EFF), said that limited video to standard definition unless a premium is paid is a breach to the US Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet Order, which "explicitly said that ISPs can't throttle traffic based on its type, or charge customers more in order to avoid discriminatory throttling".

 

Matthew Howett, an analyst at Ovum, said that net neutrality in the US and EU were new and generally untested and that firms are still on the process of figuring out what is acceptable and what isn’t.

 

He said: "Critically in the US, carriers believe the FCC overstepped the mark by imposing the rules and are likely to be more hostile to them if they are challenged in court.

"Ultimately, a balance needs to be struck between protecting the consumers on one hand and allowing for innovation and investment in networks on the other.

 

"To some extent, rule makers will be relying on competitive pressures between carriers and the prospect of consumers voting with their feet if they don't like what's on offer."