The Federal Network agency has prohibited parts of a contract offer of Deutsche Telekom for mobile devices. This is about offer called stream-on. It is intended to give users of smartphones and tablets opportunity to view services such as Internet service provider Netflix via mobile network, without affecting monthly agreed quota for data usage. Without such additional agreements, it is generally case: those who consume more than ir agreed data volume, whose access is reduced to barely usable speeds. Or it is called-some euphemistically data automatic-charged more volume added.
The federal authority does not criticise basic principle but criticizes details. In this way, consumers could not use stream-on in EU as much as domestically. While data volume of “stream-on” services is unlimited in Germany, data volume used in EU-abroad was deducted from data volume of magenta Tariff, Federal Network agency criticized. Also, in “Fare l”, data transfer rate of videos will be reduced, but not for audio files. Telekom must treat audio and video services in same way. A different treatment of media types violates imperative of equal treatment for all traffic.
However, Federal Consumer Association sees problem elsewhere. Since Telekom only cooperate with some sellers, especially with big ones like Netflix or Spotify, smaller would be disadvantaged. These are not included in free data volume. The Greens also criticize this. Telekom’s offer was “a clear violation of principle of net neutrality”. Telekom now has two weeks to respond. Besides Telekom is also Vodafone with such a fare on market. The Federal Network agency has also announced an audit for this.
