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Like Netflix? T-Mobile Is Giving it Away For Free (cnet.com)
Roger Cheng, writing for CNET: T-Mobile and Netflix are new BFFs. The primary beneficiaries of this new friendship will be subscribers to T-Mobile's "One" unlimited data plans, many of whom will get access to Netflix for free, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said on an "Un-carrier Next" webcast video on Wednesday. But the freebie only works if you have at least two T-Mobile One unlimited data plans (single line customers are out of luck). The free Netflix access arrives on Sept. 12. The alliance is just the latest proof that the worlds of video and mobile are colliding. AT&T is in the process of buying Time Warner -- home of "Game of Thrones" and Batman -- so it can own more of the content you watch, and has bundled HBO for free to some of its higher end wireless customers. Verizon has invested in creating short-form video geared towards younger audiences and a mobile video service called Go90.The offer is for the T-Mobile ONE plan with 2+ lines. You can compare T-Mobile plans here.
The worst-case scenario of not having network neutrality is ISPs altering or blocking content. The second worst-case scenario is ISPs partnering with web sites and offering their content for free. Amazon and Hulu should compete on product, not on having special deals with local monopolies. Can you imagine the outcry if your local power company gave free power to Kitchenaid appliances but not Whirlpool appliances, or to the PlayStation 4 but not the XBox? That would be such a clear abuse of monopoly power that we would never stand for it. We need to stop this from happening on the internet.