FreedomPop has announced a new free SIM deal loaded with an unlimited data allowance for Facebook's WhatsApp messenger service—which came under fire this week for a big change to its policy on ads.

Customers will apparently get zero-rated data usage for sending text messages, pictures, and videos and making calls on WhatsApp for no monthly cost, as well as 200MB of free data to use elsewhere, and 100 voice minutes.

Additional data is charged at 1.5p per minute of calls, and £5 for 333MB that's used on any non-WhatsApp service. Subscribers will see their accounts automatically topped up when they get to within 20MB of their data cap, unless they opt out.

The company also claimed the deal will work across 31 mobile networks worldwide, including the US, Germany, France, Portugal, and Italy.

However, some might question the net neutrality implications for zero-rating traffic moving through a specific app, especially given the release of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications' guidelines on Tuesday.

Ars put this to FreedomPop, whose spokesperson said that "we don't see any issues" with the deal, "as zero-rated WhatsApp is part of certain plans users can select, but not forced across our entire network."

FreedomPop, which markets itself as a "disruptive" alternative to the dominance of major mobile carriers, is selling the move as a massive break with tradition. It cited research from UK analyst house Ovum, which calculated that the decline in traditional text messaging in favour of services like WhatsApp would cost mobile operators £41 billion ($54 billion) by the end of 2016.

"There really is no reason anyone should have to pay for voice and text in today’s environment. Over-the-top communication services like WhatsApp have eliminated the need for traditional voice and text services that carriers still force UK users to pay hundreds of quid a year for," said FreedomPop's senior consumer veep Chris Chen.

"WhatsApp usage in the UK is soaring and mobile companies see it as a massive threat to take away from their voice and text revenues," he added. "Now FreedomPop is making WhatsApp more accessible than ever to UK consumers."