Items tagged "Data Caps"
AT&T is Reminding Us Why the Video Marketplace Was Traditionally Highly Regulated
June 3, 2020 Anticompetitive mergers , AT&T , AT&T Time Warner , ATTTime Warner , Data Caps , Media Consolidation , Net Neutrality , Time WarnerWhen Public Knowledge came out against the proposed AT&T/Time Warner merger in 2017, we were worried that the merger would create both the incentive for the combined company to withhold, or charge more for its own content to rival distributors, and to discriminate against competing content on its own distribution services. The merger went through […]
Read MorePublic Knowledge Commends House Democrats for Championing Broadband During Pandemic
May 12, 2020 Affordable Broadband , Broadband Access , coronavirus , Data Caps , Digital Divide , internet inequalityToday, House Democrats introduced the “Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act” that, among other provisions, helps Americans access broadband — or stay connected — during the pandemic. Public Knowledge commends House Democrats and Sen. Merkley for championing broadband access for everyone during a time when no American can afford to be left behind.
Read MoreKeep All Americans Connected By Prohibiting Data Caps During the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 27, 2020 Communications & Pandemic Series , Data Caps , FCCThis blog post is part of a series on communications policies Public Knowledge recommends in response to the pandemic. You can read more of our proposals here and view the full series here. On March 13, as concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic caused most of the nation to take drastic measures to socially distance and […]
Read MorePublic Knowledge Applauds FCC Inquiry Into Concerning Data Cap Practices of Comcast, Mobile Carriers
December 17, 2015 Data Caps , FCC , Net NeutralityToday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced that the Wireline Competition Bureau had asked Comcast to explain its policy of applying data caps and overage fees to its broadband subscribers, while exempting its own streaming video service from the data caps. The Wireless Bureau sent letters to AT&T and T-Mobile asking them to explain the details of their respective data cap policies and address concerns raised by third parties.
Read MorePublic Knowledge Commends FCC for $100 Million AT&T Fine
June 17, 2015 Data Caps , FCC , Net NeutralityToday, the Federal Communications Commission fined AT&T Mobility $100,000,000 for misleading its customers about unlimited data plans. The FCC alleges that AT&T slowed speeds for unlimited-data customers and also failed to notify customers that they could receive slower speeds than advertised. Public Knowledge raised questions about data throttling practices last year in a series of letters to AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.
Read MoreGAO Report Highlights Problems With Data Caps
December 2, 2014 Data Caps , FCC , Net NeutralityToday, in response to a request from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, the GAO released a report on the impact and perception of broadband data caps. The report follows a series of studies commissioned by Public Knowledge on consumer perceptions of broadband service. Reviewed together, these reports show that consumers are skeptical of broadband providers’ use of caps in a market where it’s increasingly difficult to change providers.
Read MoreT-Mobile Agrees to Allow Some Network Speed Tests, Alert Customers of Throttling
November 24, 2014 Data Caps , FCC , Net NeutralityToday the Federal Communications Commission announced that T-Mobile has agreed to enable consumers to accurately gauge the speeds being offered on T-Mobile’s network even if they are being throttled. T-Mobile will now send customers text alerts when they are being throttled after reaching their data cap. The company also promises to update its website with the most commonly experienced speeds in order to increase transparency.
Read MoreFTC Complaint Against AT&T Shows FTC, FCC Complementary Roles in Protecting Consumers
October 28, 2014 AT&T , Data Caps , FCC , FTCToday, the Federal Trade Commission initiated a complaint against AT&T claiming that the company misled consumers by throttling “unlimited” data plans, reducing customer data speeds by up to 90 percent. Public Knowledge commends the FTC for penalizing this deceptive industry practice but emphasizes that today’s action demonstrates the complementary roles of the FTC and the FCC.
Read MorePublic Knowledge Initiates Open Internet Complaints Against AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon
August 6, 2014 Data Caps , Net Neutrality , TransparencyToday, Public Knowledge filed letters with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon as the first step in the formal open internet complaint process. The complaint is in relation to AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon’s practice of throttling wireless data subscribers with “unlimited” data plans, as well as T-Mobile’s practice of exempting speed test applications from throttling.
Read MoreT-Mobile’s Zero-Rating of Pokémon GO Raises Questions for the Open Internet
July 20, 2016 Data Caps , Net Neutrality , Open Internet , T-Mobile , Zero RatingBeginning yesterday, T-Mobile is offering a limited-time promotion tied to the wildly popular augmented reality game Pokémon GO, in which the mobile data used by the game will not count toward a customer’s data cap. This is yet another form of zero-rating, a practice that can raise serious concerns about competition policy, net neutrality, and consumer choice. Amidst a global Poké-craze, we shouldn’t lose sight of what this may portend for the future of the open internet. So we want to take the opportunity to raise a number of questions about this promotion which would also be important to answer for any other zero-rating service proposal. Before concluding anything about this promotion or any similar plans that may be proposed, it is important to better understand their potential dangers and benefits.
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