Verizon sees AT&T 'sponsored data' billing scheme, says 'me too!'

Verizon is reportedly looking to roll out a controversial data plan some believe violates net neutrality principles. An executive with the US telco giant said earlier this week that Verizon would soon begin tests of a "sponsored data" plan in which carriers can offset user data costs. Under sponsored data plans, service …

[Anonymous Coward]

And yet again ..

.. a "free" which definitely isn't. Do the US not have anything in the way of Trade Descriptions Act (not that UK service providers stick to that either unless complaints are filed)?

[Lord_Beavis]

Re: And yet again ..

Do the US not have anything in the way of Trade Descriptions Act...

No and if those greedy bastards could figure out a way to do it, they would charge us for the air we breathe.

The day is coming where we won't need the likes of them. Wireless mesh will set us free.

[A Long Fellow]

Just a thought

I do not believe that barriers to entry are inherently bad.

Would this lead to more compact web sites, where content is valued more than frivolous decoration? Where images are sized appropriately and the code is both lean and efficient? Where advertising implicitly costs more? Where site-scrapers will (I think) have an inherent disadvantage over content originators?

I detest the telcos, but there may be a silver lining here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Just a thought

No.

It leads to gouging of prices and services. If not extortion and ransom.

It's a distinction and pricing based on prejudice against competition, from an authority granted monopoly, not on service and cost.

[John Brown (no body)]

Are data caps still a thing?

This so-called end-run around net neutrality is only possible if the ISPs still have hard caps on users data usage. That;s so last decade! Maybe the US providers saw this coming and that's why they still don't default to "unlimited" so now they can offer "unlimited" for those services where the service provider pays.

Not only is this sneaky and nasty but demonstrates yet again that the law "breakers" have better lawyers than the law makers. (Yes, I know they are nor technically breaking the law, but they are deliberately working around the spirit and intent of the law)