Apple Music streaming videos added to T-Mobile Binge On unlimited data

T-Mobile U.S. on Tuesday added 16 more video streaming services to its unlimited data Binge On program, highlighted by Apple Music, ABC, Disney, DISH Anywhere, and Nat Geo TV.

Other services also added are the Big Ten Network, CEEK VR, Disney Jr., Disney XD, D-PAN.TV, DramaFever, Fox Now, FXNOW, Shalom World, Sioeye, and Tubi TV. As with all streaming video providers, Binge On video quality is reduced to 480p. Any content streamed does not count towards any monthly data cap.

Apple Music streaming audio already does not count against caps for subscribers to a T-Mobile Simple Choice plan.

At launch, YouTube complained that video quality was being reduced for its content, despite not being a Binge On partner. T-Mobile initially denied throttling the Google service, and blamed it on misidentification of media. The Electronic Frontier Foundation discovered that with Binge On active all played video, even that not from program partners, are cut to 1.5Mbps.

Following the EFF's discovery, T-Mobile confirmed that the company was in fact reducing the bitrate on all streamed video. The company continues to position the video downsampling for Binge On users as network optimization, and not throttling.

Google's services, including YouTube, were added in March. Today's additions bring the total of streaming video providers on Binge On to 103.

8 Comments

digital_guy 14 Years · 162 comments

About 8 years ago

Don't like what some companies are doing. Net Neutrality was passed in 2015. The practice they're employing, known as 'Zero-Rating', as I understand it, is an illegal practice. Unless I'm wrong, or don't understand completely. Seem to have thought wireless was bound by the FCC's decision affecting carriers; maybe they aren't considered carriers and are not affected by the FCC's ruling.

TurboPGT 9 Years · 355 comments

digital_guy said:

Don't like what some companies are doing. Net Neutrality was passed in 2015. The practice they're employing, known as 'Zero-Rating', as I understand it, is an illegal practice. Unless I'm wrong, or don't understand completely. Seem to have thought wireless was bound by the FCC's decision affecting carriers; maybe they aren't considered carriers and are not affected by the FCC's ruling.

I'm not sure I understand it either. This certainly is not fair to other services that are not included in Binge On. How/why it is not also illegal is a mystery to me. I have a feeling if any of the smaller guys banded together and brought action against them, the tide would turn in their favor.

TurboPGT said:

digital_guy said:

Don't like what some companies are doing. Net Neutrality was passed in 2015. The practice they're employing, known as 'Zero-Rating', as I understand it, is an illegal practice. Unless I'm wrong, or don't understand completely. Seem to have thought wireless was bound by the FCC's decision affecting carriers; maybe they aren't considered carriers and are not affected by the FCC's ruling.

I'm not sure I understand it either. This certainly is not fair to other services that are not included in Binge On. How/why it is not also illegal is a mystery to me. I have a feeling if any of the smaller guys banded together and brought action against them, the tide would turn in their favor.

I have always thought wireless carriers were in a 'gray area', providing communication services, but not considered an 'ISP', and not bound by all of the FCC's rules. Net Neutrality and Zero-rating seem to be two important pieces of regulation that terrestrial / wireline companies must adhere to, but not the wireless industry, because by not being an 'ISP', they are exempt.

dougd 12 Years · 292 comments

The big problem with it though is Binge On is NOT enabled when running thru an Apple TV or even a streaming thru a Mac Pro. TMO support says it does work with a MacBook however. Odd isn't it ?

linkman 11 Years · 1041 comments

dougd said:

The big problem with it though is Binge On is NOT enabled when running thru an Apple TV or even a streaming thru a Mac Pro. TMO support says it does work with a MacBook however. Odd isn't it ?

I do think it would be really odd to run your internet connection for an Apple TV or Mac Pro through T-mobile. I would suspect it to be quite rare. I could see a Wifi hotspot device, tethering or using a USB cellular adapter with a MacBook though.