AT&T, Comcast & T-Mobile’s Free-Data Plans under FCC Scan

In February, the commission approved new net neutrality rules – which said that Internet providers could not block traffic, slow it down or offer some services faster delivery of their content in return for payment.

Then there’s the inverse, perhaps best exemplified by the T-Mobile US Binge On promotion, which allows T-Mobile customers to stream as much as they want from select platforms without having the data transmission count against the data covered by the monthly plan.

Federal regulators want more information about offers from Internet service providers that allow consumers to stream video and music without eating into their monthly data caps.

Some net neutrality supporters have said the FCC should probe whether the offering would violate the agency’s open- Internet rule by unfairly favoring some video providers’ offerings.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler sent letters to Comcast, AT&T and Verizon, summoning them to a Jan. 15 meeting to explain their various data-cap exemptions.

The FCC’s letters described concerns raised by consumer advocates, content providers, and journalists.

Some believe such models enable carriers to boost favored content, which would run afoul of the FCC’s net neutrality guidelines. He pointed out that in the Open Internet order the FCC said it would “observe and keep ourselves educated, and that’s what we’re doing”. Finally, Comcast said it Stream TV service doesn’t violate net neutrality regulations since it doesn’t use public Internet pipelines. It’s asked the three companies to make staff available to them for discussions within a month.

“We look forward to talking with the FCC and sharing more details about Binge On“, T-Mobile said in a statement. “It is a cable service that only works in the customer’s home”, the company said. AT&T, which lets companies pay to offer data-free services, tries (and fails) to sound super punk, saying, “We remain committed to innovation without permission and hope the FCC is too”.

Republican House leaders were not happy with the FCC’s decision not to decide on whether smaller and medium-sized ISPs should get a permanent exemption from enhanced, transparency reporting requirements on the FCC’s new network-neutrality rules.

An agency official said on background that the order had undergone major substantive changes since it was circulated to the commissioners on Dec. 11. At the time, Wheeler reiterated that the FCC is “pro-competitive and pro innovation”, adding that Binge On “clearly… meets both of those criteria”.

“We are reviewing the letter and will respond as appropriate”, said Michael Balmoris, a spokesman for AT&T.