The concept and idea of net neutrality is one of the hotly-debated topics in recent times. Basically the idea is that all data should be treated equal, but some argue that if a company wants to pay for it, why shouldn’t bandwidth be prioritized for them instead? That being said, it seems that the FCC thinks that both AT&T and Verizon have violated net neutrality.In AT&T’s case, the FCC seems to be concerned over the Sponsored Data program, while in Verizon’s case the FCC is concerned about the carrier’s FreeBee Data 360 program. This program basically gives providers on the Go90 video platform preferential treatment, which in turn could provide an unfair advantage for their home-grown offerings.
Both AT&T and Verizon have since responded to the FCC’s claims. AT&T told Engadget, “These are incredibly popular free services available to millions of customers. Once again, we will provide the FCC with additional information on why the government should not take away a service that saves consumers money.”
As for Verizon, the company replied in a statement that reads, “We will review and respond to the inquiry as requested. In the meantime, we remain quite confident that our practices are good for consumers, non-discriminatory and are consistent with current rules.”