Deutsche
Telekom’s planned data volume limits on flat rate Internet plans has
encountered criticism from the German government. Critics fear the new plan
threatens net neutrality.
The German
telecommunications giant announced this week that starting in May it will
reduce the speed of Internet services for its "flat rate" customers
when a certain amount of data has been consumed. Such bandwidth caps,
comparatively common in the US but not in Europe, are more commonly found on
mobile Internet deals.
However,
the company would exclude its in-house broadband television and film service
Entertain in the consumption of the consumer's data quota.
This means
that if a customer streams entertainment through Entertain, the resulting
traffic will not count against the customer's overall data volume. In turn,
different streaming providers would eat up the consumer's bandwidth.
Critics
have said this plan distorts competition and also attacks network neutrality -
the concept that Internet service providers and governments should treat all
online data equally. Now, the German government has intervened.
Economic
Minister Philipp Rösler voiced concern in a letter to Telekom's CEO Rene
Obermann on Wednesday, a copy of which Spiegel Online obtained.
In the
letter, Rösler warned of possible restrictions for "flat rate"
customers. He said Federal government and consumer protection authorities would
"follow very carefully further developments in relation to the varying
treatment of Telekom's own services, and that of others, in terms of network
neutrality."
Federal
Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner also criticized the new policy in an
interview with Spiegel Online. "At first glance, progress for the customer
can not be seen," she said. "Limiting flat rates is certainly not
consumer-friendly," the Bavarian conservative CSU minister said.
A spokesman
for Telekom responded Wednesday by saying the alternative to the plan would
have been to increase the flat-rate prices for all customers. He said only customers
that use more than the average high-speed Internet will be affected,
"which we find to be a fair solution."
Telekom
said they share the objectives of the Federal government on net neutrality.
"Telekom stands for a free and open Internet. Net neutrality is partly
confused in the debate with a free Internet culture," the spokesman said.
hc/msh (Reuters, AFP dpa)
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