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Charter Launches Mobile Service, Throttles All Video To 480p (arstechnica.com)
Charter Communications launched its mobile broadband service on June 30, and it's throttling all video streams to DVD quality. From a report: "DVD-quality video streaming is supported. Video typically streams at 480p," Charter notes in the "Pricing & Other Info" section of its mobile sign-up page. The quality limit is similar to one just imposed by Comcast, which previously did not impose any video quality limits on its mobile service. Comcast is letting existing customers get 720p video streams "on an interim basis at no charge," and the company announced plans to charge extra for longer-term access to HD quality. But Charter hasn't announced any plans to let customers stream in HD over its mobile service, for free or otherwise. HD video "is not currently an option for Spectrum Mobile," a Charter spokesperson told Ars. Wirefly has a Spectrum Mobile review.
Google + Netflix do not get "free" internet.
They pay handsomely for their interconnects, infrastructure, caching edger servers + what not.
Consumer ISPs do not get to charge them twice for connections + data customers are requesting.
Why aren't you encrypting your e-mail?
This is definitely not about data usage because if it was then they would be restricting bit rates. But they're instead restricting resolution.