AT&T and Verizon Facing FCC Scrutiny After Exempting Their Own Apps From Data Caps

[MrShoehorn]

Nope. Offering me a discount on one service has no direct effect on the costs of other services.

By this same logic, bundling cell phone, landline, cable, etc., would be illegal.

Wait what? No direct effect? Really, you honestly believe that? I changed the rest of this after seeing all the replies you got and realized you didn't need any more logic.
[doublepost=1481025660][/doublepost]Why won't they do this to Comcast and any other ISP doing the same thing. The FCC stopped pressuring Comcast when they increased to a 1TB cap from 350GB, but Comcast just expanded the cap to most everyone to recoup the cost. They didn't lose anything.

 

[rjbruce]

Yes they are. They are charging different rates for data from different services. That is exactly what they are doing.

Their services get free data. Competing services use paid data. How did you miss that?

The majority of consumers have a data cap. If this isn't challenged we all will. Data used = bandwidth. This is bandwidth throttling.

Two or three carriers will crush or control or skim money from every [mobile] music streaming, video, retail, or cloud service. And also thereby control advertisement. They make billions. The cost is passed on to the consumer, who gets no value added. If this isn't anti-trust, nothing is.

I must be completely missing this then. Directv Now is a pay for service. I haven't looked at the materials, but maybe they should say streaming their service on their network for their mobile customers is a bundle deal, but you and I both know the carrier is getting paid for the data you are consuming.

They also don't get to skim money from every service that goes over their network. Service providers can continue to operate as they do today offering service that consumes a user's data. They now have the ability to differentiate their service by covering the cost of the data they consume. Say Netflix covers data consumption and 90% of what you consume is Netflix based, you may be able to reduce your bill with the carrier by picking a smaller package. That is good for consumers

It seems to me that most of the arguments here are on what might happen or speculation rather than what was actually announced.

 

[LethalWolfe]

It seems to me that most of the arguments here are on what might happen or speculation rather than what was actually announced.

These things have happened (Verizon throttling Netflix, Comcast using data caps and zero ratings to push it's own content, ATT letting it's copper network rot in order to push customers onto more expensive fiber and wireless plans, etc.,) and will continue to happen until people which is why Internet users need to remain vigilant.

The Verge has a decent write up on it, "AT&T Just Declared War on the Open Internet (and Us)".

It looks good superficially, but it's a long term loss for Internet users. Seemingly everyone laments the power and influence the major media conglomerates have over record labels, TV networks, movie distribution, cable channels, etc., so why would we grant them the same power and influence over the Internet? And it truly is in OUR power to keep the Internet an open, level playing field as it is supposed to be. Our actions kept SOPA and PIPA from becoming law. Our actions motivated the FCC to make decisions that keeps the power of the Internet in the hands of Internet users and not in the hands of Internet Service Providers.

The Internet is a great equalizer in may capacities but these companies can't amass wealth and power on an egalitarian playing field. They amass weather and power when they can act as gatekeepers that control the creation and access to information/content.

 

[Darkrider]

Heres an Idea Just bring unlimted data back

 

[dewski]

Yes, it does hurt you, at least when they bundle products that directly compete with other companies that are not carriers. Standalone companies tend to do a much better job than carriers, because their sole mission is providing that service, rather than that being a tiny portion of their overall mission.

Thus, the bundling harms consumers in two ways:

• Encouraging use of a lower-quality carrier-provided service for cost reasons removes any incentive to compete on features, causing a race to the bottom.
• It will eventually drive the third-party services out of business, at which point the carriers will crank up their profit margins again, and consumers will be screwed.

All the downsides are so distant in the future. We can work on those problems when we get there.