AT&T says allowing its customers to stream certain content without incurring wireless data fees is beneficial.
The comments were made in a letter to the FCC, which, earlier this month, asked AT&T to justify its practice of zero-rating DirecTV content.
“These initiatives are precisely the kind of pro-consumer challenges to cable that the Commission heralded in approving AT&T’s acquisition of DirecTV,” wrote Robert Quinn, AT&T’s policy chief.
The FCC is wary of zero-rating practices and feels they may be out of step with existing net neutrality laws. In this case, AT&T owns DirecTV and is in effect giving its own service an advantage over competing services that do incur data fees when streamed over AT&T’s wireless network.
Verizon allows customers to stream its own go90 video service without impacting data allotments, and T-Mobile’s Binge On program provides unlimited streaming of lower-resolution content from a fair amount of video partners.
The FCC has been pondering zero-rated content for some time and has yet make any sort of official stance known to the public.
