The rumors are true, T-Mobile customers.
As expected, T-Mobile CEO John Legere on Tuesday announced the company's latest "un-carrier" perk: free video streams. Dubbed "Binge On," the new offering lets you stream video on your mobile device without it eating into any of your allotted data.
The service will initially be available for 24 different streaming services, including Netflix, HBO Now, HBO GO, Hulu, Sling TV, WatchESPN, Showtime, Starz, and more. You'll still need to pay for a subscription to Netflix, HBO Now, or whichever streaming service you use, if they charge, you just won't have to worry about using up all your data when you watch them.
T-Mobile also decided to include two somewhat unlikely services as part of Binge On: Verizon's new Go90 app and AT&T's DirecTV, "just because we can," Legere said during today's announcement, adding that Go90 has probably racked up "dozens" of downloads.
Binge On will be available for all T-Mobile Simple Choice customers for free, starting on Nov. 15. Besides the previously mentioned streaming services, it also includes Crackle, Encore, Fox Sports, Fox Sports Go, MLB, Movieplex, NBC Sports, Sling Box, T-Mobile TV, Univision Deportes, Ustream, Vessel, Vevo, and Vudu. That list should increase in the future, as any streaming video provider that meets T-Mobile's technical requirements can participate, Legere said.
T-Mobile says Binge On optimizes video for mobile devices, minimizing data consumption while delivering DVD quality (480p) or better streams. While the service is free, it's also optional, meaning you can deactivate it for each line in your T-Mobile account at any time.
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T-Mobile has a similar offering for music streaming known as Music Freedom. At launch, however, Music Freedom prompted concerns from net neutrality advocates who were worried that certain services might be able to finagle a better experience than others on T-Mobile's network. Thus far, there have not been any formal complaints. Legere said today that Binge On "is not a net neutrality problem" because any company can participate, even porn providers.
Consumer group Free Press, a big net neutrality advocate, didn't mention that in a statement it sent around this afternoon. Instead, it accused T-Mobile of trotting out a "cheap sales trick."
"If offering exemptions is so easy for T-Mobile, why do we need the caps in the first place?" asked Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile also today upgraded its Simple Choice plan by doubling the data for every tier. You'll still start with one line at $50 a month for unlimited talk, text, and data, but now you'll get 2GB of data, instead of 1GB, on each additional line. A second line will still set you back $30 a month and additional lines after that, up to 12, are still $10 a month. The only difference here is that those extra lines now get more data.
In addition, for an extra $15, you'll now get 6GB of data instead of 3GB, or for $30 more you'll get 10GB instead of 5GB.