EE Extending Free Six-Month Apple Music Subscription Offer, Won't Count Against Data Caps

[MacRumors]

British carrier EE today announced it is extending its free six-month Apple Music subscription offer to all new and existing iPhone and Android smartphone customers with a pay monthly plan. SIM-only customers are also eligible.

The offer begins Wednesday, July 19, and customers will be able to register for the deal with a short-code to be revealed next week.

EE said any data consumed by Apple Music will be zero-rated, meaning it will not count against a customer's data allotment. After six months, customers will automatically be charged £9.99 per month for Apple Music until they cancel.

Article Link: EE Extending Free Six-Month Apple Music Subscription Offer, Won't Count Against Data Caps

 

[ToomeyND]

I've learned things recently with the net neutrality rules. Although this is a very cool offering from EE to go with Apple music, it can really hurt innovation in the arena when competitors basically have to pay for bandwidth. Interesting turn of events for me, as I saw these partnerships as nothing but good in the past.

 

[itsmilo]

In Germany Telekom bend the net neutrality rules by offering StreamOn as a free add-on and any video / music provider can sign up to be part of it. I welcome it since, lets face it, german phone providers will never offer true unlimited data ever

 

[macTW]

Borderline illegal in most first world countries. But hey! If it hasn’t been shut down...

 

[X--X]

 

[KPOM]

I've learned things recently with the net neutrality rules. Although this is a very cool offering from EE to go with Apple music, it can really hurt innovation in the arena when competitors basically have to pay for bandwidth. Interesting turn of events for me, as I saw these partnerships as nothing but good in the past.

Though I disagree, you make a decent point. That said, I think the market would sort this out in the end. Net neutrality subsidizes heavy users of bandwidth like Netflix. Trucks pay higher tolls than cars for good reason.

 

[576316]

EE are such price gougers. Awful network which over charge for every service they offer, O2 employ similar tactics. Shop around for your mobile network coverage, people, you'll soon realise you're being massively ripped off. They'll also raise your monthly cost every year, and claim you agreed to it, whilst calling it inflation and that 'every network does it' but the truth is they don't. I haven't paid a penny more than I agreed to in about 3 or 4 years. When I was with EE, they hiked the price of my deal every year.

Then they give out special deals for new customers and give existing customers nothing for continuously paying their inflated prices. This is what happens when networks merge and are allowed to gain too much market share, thank God we have many new players such as GiffGaff and iD Mobile.

But all that is well besides the fact that mobile networks is general haven't changed or evolved for about 15 years and they're still padding deals out with thousands of minutes and texts - which nobody uses anymore - and give you very, very little data for your money, the part of the deal that ever gets used or is useful. Only a couple of networks are trying to re-think this model. The future of network deals needs to be very few minutes and texts and lots of data. The fact that any network believes any regular user needs 1000+ inclusive messages is insane. The majority of users are using iMessage or WhatsApp, which is only costing them data - the thing you never get enough of!

 

[truthertech]

I've learned things recently with the net neutrality rules. Although this is a very cool offering from EE to go with Apple music, it can really hurt innovation in the arena when competitors basically have to pay for bandwidth. Interesting turn of events for me, as I saw these partnerships as nothing but good in the past.

It's an interesting discussion where seldom are both sides presented. For example, you alleges that it hurts innovation to not charge for data usage, but is there evidence of this? Then, to be consistent, wouldn't you have to also oppose Google giving away services and not charging for email, storage, etc., or Amazon offering so many "free" or selling at a loss items? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but sadly the "net neutrality" discussion is so heavily politicized that seldom does one see an intelligent discussion of both sides.

 

[576316]

Shouldn't that be 'All bits are created equally'??

 

[truthertech]

Shouldn't that be 'All bits are created equally'??

No, you are confusing adverb usage that would describe "how" the bits were created and modify the verb "create," with the correct usage of an adjective, "equal" which modifies/describes the noun "bits."

 

[Cronowerx]

Quebec had a similar thing going until (((they))) put a stop to it really fast.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

This is basically what T-Mobile does here no? I wonder if that sort of thing will catch on with other providers.

 

[andsoitgoes]

Quebec had a similar thing going until (((they))) put a stop to it really fast.

As well they should have.

This is how it starts, service a eschews data usage caps, which makes Spotify a less appealing choice because hey, Apple Music might not be my first choice, but if it’s free to stream it, I’ll pick that!

It allows favoritism of providers, and the ones with the deep pockets can pay to make themselves more appealing to big corporations.

It sound so customer focused unless you realize these companies gives two craps about you, they’re doing it because they get more money, and it’s a shame people are falling into the mental trap of thinking it’s okay.

All data should be the same. Verizon is doing this in the states with their go90 BS, and again sure it’s great their service doesn’t use your data, but when they are competing with things such as Netflix, like AM does with a million other providers, it throws the ethics out with the bathwater and ensures whoever has the most money wins.

I understand capitalism and free markets are where the world is going to stay for the foreseeable future, but this is a bridge too far, and I’m sorry people aren’t seeing that because it will lead down a truly despicable path.

 

[ToomeyND]

It's an interesting discussion where seldom are both sides presented. For example, you alleges that it hurts innovation to not charge for data usage, but is there evidence of this? Then, to be consistent, wouldn't you have to also oppose Google giving away services and not charging for email, storage, etc., or Amazon offering so many "free" or selling at a loss items? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but sadly the "net neutrality" discussion is so heavily politicized that seldom does one see an intelligent discussion of both sides.

I supposed I would respond to your example that a start-up can always decide to work longer for free (meaning the ad revenue may not be enough for growth at the beginning). A start-up cannot decide to compete in a bidding war that goes above what their funding permits.

But honestly, yes, juggernauts providing things for free is (as I'm learning) a much bigger concern for allowing real competition. This type of thing was what got Microsoft in trouble with IE. Now, however, these companies are in so many different domains that they are not technically a monopoly in any one area. Strange things to ponder.

 

[576316]

No, you are confusing adverb usage that would describe "how" the bits were created

Ah. That makes sense, I didn't put a lot of thought into it.

 

[OS X Dude]

As an existing Music subscriber, I assume I'd have to cancel it and re-subscribe through whatever portal EE and Apple will have made, or would it be done by a voucher code that gets redeemed against my Apple ID?

 

[truthertech]

No, you are confusing adverb usage that would describe "how" the bits were created and modify the verb "create," with the correct usage of an adjective, "equal" which modifies/describes the noun "bits."

Ah. That makes sense, I didn't put a lot of thought into it.

Ah, no wonder, it probably originates with King George to have a mental block when it comes to the Declaration of Independence

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . . "

 

[macfacts]

Though I disagree, you make a decent point. That said, I think the market would sort this out in the end. Net neutrality subsidizes heavy users of bandwidth like Netflix. Trucks pay higher tolls than cars for good reason.

It isn't Netflix using the bandwidth, it is the ISP's customers using the bandwidth, bandwidth that they paid for.

 

[benryanmills]

As an existing Music subscriber, I assume I'd have to cancel it and re-subscribe through whatever portal EE and Apple will have made, or would it be done by a voucher code that gets redeemed against my Apple ID?

The former option.

 

[jlwarlow]

EE are such price gougers. Awful network which over charge for every service they offer, O2 employ similar tactics. Shop around for your mobile network coverage, people, you'll soon realise you're being massively ripped off. They'll also raise your monthly cost every year, and claim you agreed to it, whilst calling it inflation and that 'every network does it' but the truth is they don't. I haven't paid a penny more than I agreed to in about 3 or 4 years. When I was with EE, they hiked the price of my deal every year.

Then they give out special deals for new customers and give existing customers nothing for continuously paying their inflated prices. This is what happens when networks merge and are allowed to gain too much market share, thank God we have many new players such as GiffGaff and iD Mobile.

But all that is well besides the fact that mobile networks is general haven't changed or evolved for about 15 years and they're still padding deals out with thousands of minutes and texts - which nobody uses anymore - and give you very, very little data for your money, the part of the deal that ever gets used or is useful. Only a couple of networks are trying to re-think this model. The future of network deals needs to be very few minutes and texts and lots of data. The fact that any network believes any regular user needs 1000+ inclusive messages is insane. The majority of users are using iMessage or WhatsApp, which is only costing them data - the thing you never get enough of!

True, unfortunately EE and O2 are the only networks in the UK that support Visual Voicemail. EE were one of the earliest networks (first even?) to support WiFi calling and will probably be early adopters of future iPhone tech when released. If other networks (or VMNOs) supported visual voicemail etc I'd be happy to switch, until then it's EE for me as their network is best where I live.

 

[ToomeyND]

Though I disagree, you make a decent point. That said, I think the market would sort this out in the end. Net neutrality subsidizes heavy users of bandwidth like Netflix. Trucks pay higher tolls than cars for good reason.

After hours off of this topic, I had a thought pop up. I'm not sure that your analogy is correct. This seems more like, after roads are built, going back to a local store that is popular and saying that people aren't going to be allowed to drive to your store anymore unless you pay the DOT more money.

Sure, when a new heavy traffic user is expected to develop in an area, they are requested to pay some of the cost of mitigating extra traffic expected to develop in the area. That issue isn't exactly addressed in the internet version. However, if a new store is being built near a highway with plenty of off and on ramps, they are not going to have to pay extra for people to use the roads to get to them. That would be a potential requirement if NN is rolled back.

There is plenty more I could write wrt this example, but won't bother unless it wasn't clear.

 

[iGeek2014]

My iPhone tariff with o2 includes unlimited music streaming for companies likes Spotify and Deezer as well as Apple Music-Three have introduced "Binge On" but that's currently limited to select brands.

 

[RDowson]

True, unfortunately EE and O2 are the only networks in the UK that support Visual Voicemail. EE were one of the earliest networks (first even?) to support WiFi calling and will probably be early adopters of future iPhone tech when released. If other networks (or VMNOs) supported visual voicemail etc I'd be happy to switch, until then it's EE for me as their network is best where I live.

I believe Vodafone now support VV and WiFi Calling too. Not for corporate contracts though.

 

[Manatlt]

I believe Vodafone now support VV and WiFi Calling too. Not for corporate contracts though.

No, Vodafone do not support Visual Voicemail. They do support WiFi Calling though.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204040

 

[scouser75]

I'm not too savvy with all this new-wave way of listening to music (must be the fact I've gone past the 40 mark!!!). I use the underground everyday so don't have access to wi-fi or even an internet connection. So can I download the music on to my music app on the phone? Or even a USB stick to plug into a laptop?

As for EE - I have to say they have been my choice of provider from 1996 (T-Mobile in those days). Never have had any problems what-so-ever with reception or anything. An exceptional customer service since moving back their calls centres from India. I did once move to BT but with little to no service in my area I cancelled the contract.

I'm now paying £7.50 a month with unlimited minutes an texts (not that anyone ever uses these nowadays as mentioned above) and 10GB of data - which for me is more than enough.