"FCC ready to intervene over AT&T's Sponsored Data program"

[TopWargamer]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/8/5289650/fcc-wheeler-ready-to-intervene-over-att-sponsored-data

 

 

 

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler used his talk at CES today to put AT&T's controversial new "Sponsored Data" program on notice. "My attitude is: let's take a look at what this is, let's take a look at how it operates," Wheeler said. "And be sure, that if it interferes with the operation of the internet; that if it develops into an anticompetitive practice; that if it does have some kind of preferential treatment given somewhere, then that is cause for us to intervene."

 

Well that's a bummer. That was 1 thing that I thought that AT&T was doing right. Their Sponsored Data program was certainly a neat and new idea, but it may not even come to the surface now.

[JaeDee884]

Well as far as I'm aware as long as AT&T don't require an exclusivity agreement with sponsored data then their concerns are invalid and other providers are able to do the same thing, thus cancelling out any anticompetitive behaviour.

[MrImnotMLG]

Greedy, greedy world we live in. We step on a smaller person to make an extra penny.

[ltguy]

Well that's a bummer. That was 1 thing that I thought that AT&T was doing right. Their Sponsored Data program was certainly a neat and new idea, but it may not even come to the surface now.

 

HAHAHA, You thought AT&T was doing something right. Or for the customer's benefit. I can't stop laughing, you're killing me.

[Warcony]

 

Well that's a bummer. That was 1 thing that I thought that AT&T was doing right. Their Sponsored Data program was certainly a neat and new idea, but it may not even come to the surface now.

 

 This program is terrible and should not be implemented.  It completely destroys net neutrality and will end up hurting the consumers in the long run. I don't want video ads, I don't want to pay for play time on a mobile game.

[alicskysareblue]

I agree with the FCC this screams potential anti competition, there needs to be a set of net neutrality on mobile.

[shizngiggles]

This is just AT&T trying to make up for the outrageous data caps they have and reinforce their bogus claim that bandwidth limitations are a problem on their network.

[Anult]

Well that's a bummer. That was 1 thing that I thought that AT&T was doing right. Their Sponsored Data program was certainly a neat and new idea, but it may not even come to the surface now.

 

AT&T wanted this new program in place so they could increase profit margins from their data caps, showing that AT&T has no intention of giving value to it's customers in any way.

 

I'm no fan of the FCC, but they have every right to intervene. This new policy could have potentially screwed over the customer like never before, not to mention the potential to harm net neutrality.