The Federal Communications Commission sent a letter to AT&T to express concerns about the operator's zero-rating of the DirecTV app for its own mobile customers. AT&T started the practice last month and said it plans to do the same for the upcoming over-the-top service DirecTV Now, when it launches later this month. AT&T’s practice "may obstruct competition and harm consumers by constraining their ability to access existing and future mobile video services not affiliated with AT&T", said Jon Wilkins, the head of the FCC’s wireless division, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Robert Quinn, AT&T’s head of external and legislative affairs, argued in return that consumers benefit from the program because it lets others pay for data use. Any video provider can sponsor its content in the same way, at AT&T's lowest wholesale rates, he said. However, the FCC noted that DirecTV wouldn't pay anything for the service as it's part of AT&T, essentially resulting in unfair competition.
The FCC said AT&T may be in violation of net neutrality rules and called on the company to respond by 21 November. It noted that the allegations applied specifically to AT&Ts practices, and not all zero-rating, which it assesses on a case-by-case basis.
