As for mobile data, this is not the first time that customers of AT&T and DirecTV have enjoyed special treatment. AT&T purchased DirecTV for $69 billion a year ago, and while it took a while to implement, an update to the company’s DirecTV streaming app indicates that AT&T is now letting AT&T wireless customers stream DirecTV content without it counting against a user’s usage caps. The release notes mention that users can now “stream DirecTV on your devices, anywhere – without using your data”, this is pretty self-explanatory.
Advertisement
Perhaps the most interesting news with these enhancements is the so called “zero rating” implication, which means AT&T customers can watch video without worrying about it impacting their monthly data allotment.
This practice of “zero rating” has been highly controversial among net neutrality advocates because it lets a company give its own content an unfair advantage in the market.
As is typically the case with data-cap exemptions, there are some caveats.
The Center for Media Justice, Fight for the Future and Free Press were among the groups protesting offerings such as T-Mobile’s Binge On and Verizon’s FreeBee Data. But now, even AT&T wireless users who didn’t want to sign up for unlimited data won’t incur usage charges when streaming DirecTV content. “That harms both diverse content creators and internet users who already pay so much for their wireless service”. Streaming video will work through both WiFi and mobile data services like 4G LTE.
AT&T told Ars Technica that DirecTV was paying its parent company for the free data through its sponsored data program, which other video services could take advantage of, as well.
Advertisement
“We’re not going to rush it, but we are going to have a thoughtful inquiry and that … we will be bringing forth the kind of things that we have discovered in that process when we have completed that thoughtful inquiry”, Wheeler said.
