What Neutrality? Verizon Exempts Its Go90 Service From Its Caps Verizon Wireless users have been told Verizon's Go90 streaming video service will no longer count against their usage cap. Reader JoeD writes in to note that the zero rated cap exemption e-mail arrived with the latest 1.4 update to Verizon's mobile streaming platform, which the company launched last September with the specific goal of appealing to Millennials. According to the notice, only Verizon postpaid customers will have their Go90 streaming cap exempted.

own streaming service a leg up against the competition by making it cap exemption isn't likely to be viewed fondly by net neutrality advocates. Verizon's decision to give itsstreaming service a leg up against the competition by making it cap exemption isn't likely to be viewed fondly by net neutrality advocates. The e-mail directs users to this freshly-updated customer agreement. "Beginning on or about February 4, 2016, if you are a Verizon Wireless post-paid customer and you download the current version of go90 (release 1.4), you can watch any video on go90 without incurring Verizon Wireless data usage charges so long as you are connected to LTE," states Verizon. "Other activity that does not involve watching videos, such as downloading go90 from an app store, browsing or searching for shows, posting comments, sharing clips and viewing settings will incur data usage charges," the site continues. Verizon had already been experimenting with zero rating with the launch of the carrier's "Free Bee" program. As noted previously, Free Bee lets third party companies pay Verizon if they want their own content cap exempted. Companies can either pay a flat fee to have an entire app or website exempted, or pay to specifically have one piece of content made cap exempt (like a single video download). The FCC's net neutrality rules don't specifically prohibit zero rating, the regulator saying it would take a "case by case" approach to such practices. While the FCC has launched what it's calling an informal "informational exercise" asking companies for more detail about their zero rating plans, the agency has yet to take a stand on the matter despite the obvious anti-competitive implications. I've reached out to three different Verizon representatives to have the carrier explain how this doesn't violate net neutrality, and will update this post with any additional information received. It's hard not to think that Verizon, which sued to overturn the FCC's original 2010 rules, and is part of a suit to overturn the latest incarnation, isn't giving a giant middle finger to the agency and net neutrality advocates alike. I've reached out to three different Verizon representatives to have the carrier explain how this doesn't violate net neutrality, and will update this post with any additional information received. It's hard not to think that Verizon, which sued to overturn the FCC's original 2010 rules, and is part of a suit to overturn the latest incarnation, isn't giving a giant middle finger to the agency and net neutrality advocates alike.







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Most recommended from 56 comments

smk11

join:2014-11-12 16 recommendations smk11 Member This is what you get when you don't fight for net neutrality Optional - No

Any video provider can join - No



We have a clear violation just like ISP provided cap exempt "managed" services on wireline. Now Verizon and Comcast are free to launch cap exempt sites.

VegasMan

Living the Vegas life.

Premium Member

join:2002-11-17

Las Vegas, NV 6 recommendations VegasMan Premium Member Still Sucks Free against data caps. Who cares it still sucks. fireboats

join:2016-01-29 5 recommendations fireboats Member ok If i had Verizon right now, I would put my phone on LTE and watch Go90 24/7 using up many GBs of data. Get a bunch of other people to do the same and their network will come to a crawl.

Flyonthewall

@teksavvy.com 3 recommendations Flyonthewall Anon Just looks like an attempt to turn internet in broadcast tv sub Look at it like this, you want to watch HBO, you have to sub to it through a broadcaster.



Same thing applies to internet now, you want to stream or listen to X, provider Y allows this for free. If it's their OWN, they are the broadcaster as well as the medium supplier, similar to NBC/Comcast.



I think that's the main goal, force the prices up indirectly by saying it's 'Free on usage', but you do end up paying for it somewhere. That is also is anti-competitive just falls into line with standard broadcast business models.