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EFF: T-Mobile "Binge On" Is Just Throttling of All Data (eff.org)

Posted by samzenpus on from the slowing-things-down dept.

onedobb writes: Tests confirm that when Binge On is enabled, T-Mobile throttles all HTML5 video streams to around 1.5Mps, even when the phone is capable of downloading at higher speeds, and regardless of whether or not the video provider enrolled in Binge On. This is the case whether the video is being streamed or being downloaded—which means that T-Mobile is artificially reducing the download speeds of customers with Binge On enabled, even if they're downloading the video to watch later. It also means that videos are being throttled even if they're being watched or downloaded to another device via a tethered connection.

4 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. But.. that's exactly what they SAID it does. by damnbunni · · Score: 5, Informative

    I don't get the complaint.

    Binge On specifically says that certain providers don't count against your data cap at all, and others will be processed to use less data.

    Quoted from http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/... :

    Stream unlimited video FREE on your favorite streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Sling, ESPN, Showtime, Starz and more without ever using your high-speed data.

      Plus, almost all other video streaming is optimized for mobile so you watch 3 times more video with your data plan.

    So what's the headline here? 'Telco provides exactly the service they claim to provide'?

    If they were downgrading video when Binge On was turned OFF, then THAT would be news.

    1. Re:But.. that's exactly what they SAID it does. by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Informative

      The complaint is that they're throttling all videos, regardless of whether they come from the zero-rated providers or not. Also they're throttling rather than, as they claimed, "optimizing" them, which means, for example, that if the provider that's streaming it isn't using something like DASH or HLS to adapt the streaming rate to the current network conditions, your video is going to stutter and become unwatchable, rather than gracefully downgrade to a slower bitrate.

      The only leg that T-Mobile has to stand on here is that the service is technically optional. But they've outright lied about what it is, even at one point claiming it wasn't throttling, and implied it only applied to a set of participating providers. They're claiming it's zero rating video in exchange for throttling, but as we can see here, that isn't the case. And with high profile non-participants non-zero-rated providers like YouTube being throttled, it's all the more absurd.

      T-Mobile needs to step back and rethink this. At the very least, they should turn off throttling for everyone other than the named zero-rated providers. They have the germ of a good idea here, but they haven't been honest about the implementation, nor consistent.

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  2. Re:First world problems... by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Informative

    No matter how you twist it, "unlimited" means unlimited.
    If they're not offering a truely unlimited service, they shouldn't be labelling it "unlimited".
    The fact that people have come to expect companies lying to them, doesn't make it right.

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  3. Re:First world problems... by mitcheli · · Score: 4, Informative

    Honestly, who cares? 1.5mpbs for free streaming video is a long way away from what other providers provide. If the quality is knocked a bit and keeps me from paying up to $15 a gig of data, I'm fine with that. Besides, with 10gig of data per line versus the competitors 4 gigs shared across all the lines, T-mobile is doing just fine. I'm good with SD quality on my ipad. ... for free.

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