T-Mobile adds Amazon Video, other services to controversial Binge On program

The carrier now has over 40 participating services, according to an announcement. With Binge On active, a subscriber's video quality is reduced to about 480p (DVD level), but in exchange they can stream as much video as they want from participating services without it counting towards monthly data caps.

It should also be simpler to toggle the feature. Dialing #264# on a smartphone will check settings, while dialing #263# or #266# will turn it off or on, respectively. The option is likewise easier to find at t-mobile.com.

T-Mobile is further releasing an updated mobile app along the same lines. While it will slowly roll out to Android users beginning today, an iOS release is only due sometime in February.

Binge On has become controversial for multiple reasons. It was for instance found to be throttling all video to just 1.5 megabits per second, and downgrading services not officially signed up for the program, such as YouTube.

More seriously, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is considering whether it violates net neurtrality rules. Those rules mandate that Internet service providers can't degrade traffic based on the basis of content or service, excluding "reasonable network management."