Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Netflix admits it has been throttling its streams on AT&T and Verizon for years

By Kris Wouk Published March 25, 2016

Netflix-Android — emevil/123RF.com / 123RF.com

In November, T-Mobile introduced Binge On, which offered unlimited video streaming from certain services like Netflix and Hulu without affecting users’ data caps, but it quickly drew ire from all sides. Some claimed the new feature violated Net neutrality, and while this would continue to be debated, customers weren’t happy that the video was capped at 480p.

Since the introduction of Binge On, T-Mobile CEO John Legere has been adamantly defending the feature, taking things to a new level last week when he accused rivals of capping Netflix streams for their users. While it turned out that the streams were indeed being throttled, wireless providers weren’t the ones doing the throttling. Netflix was, and, by it’s own admission, the company has been doing so for a long time.

Recommended Videos

Related Offer: Thousands of movies & TV shows on Amazon Video. Start a free trial now!

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The company has been capping mobile video streams on AT&T and Verizon to 600Kbps for over five years, the Wall Street Journal reports. The reason, a Netflix spokesperson said, is “to protect our members from overage charges when they exceed mobile-data caps.” The company hasn’t limited video on Sprint or T-Mobile because neither company usually charges for data overages.

Verizon generally washed its hands of the news, saying that it provided video streams to its users at the resolution the service provided them. AT&T wasn’t as restrained in its response. “We’re outraged to learn that Netflix is apparently throttling video for their AT&T customers without their knowledge or consent,” company senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs Jim Cicconi said.

Netflix has generally been seen as a proponent of Net neutrality, but this puts the company on somewhat shakier footing. If the company had simply throttled video for every carrier, there wouldn’t be an issue, but throttling some and not others doesn’t look good for the company, whatever the reason.

T-Mobile’s Binge On even looks slightly better by comparison, as customers at least have the option for turning the resolution cap off with that service. While Netflix allows users to select video quality on wired connections, that isn’t the case for wireless providers, at least not yet.

Netflix has a “data saver” feature planned to launch in May that will allow mobile users to increase or decrease video quality depending on how much data they want to burn. This will likely now be seen as a reaction to this event rather than a simple new feature, but at least customers will soon be able to make the choice for themselves.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Mobile

T-Mobile has been fined millions of dollars. Here are all the details

T-Mobile smartphone.

There's an expectation of privacy and security from your mobile provider. That's why a series of T-Mobile data breaches from 2021 through January of this year caused so much concern. Over 130 million customers were affected, and their addresses, dates of birth, and sometimes even Social Security numbers were exposed in the attacks.

T-Mobile has reached a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the data breaches. The company is on the hook for $15.75 million in fines, but it is also paying for an additional $15.75 million in infrastructure improvements to improve its cybersecurity. The settlement also includes several actionable steps on T-Mobile's part.

Entertainment

This 2018 action-adventure remake deserves more love. It’s now streaming on Netflix

A man smiles in Robin Hood.

It's not uncommon for movies that don't succeed at the box office to find some success once they arrive on Netflix. The streaming service has been revitalizing forgotten movies for years. Some of the movies that get this treatment and wind up in Netflix's top 10 most popular movies actually deserve a second look, while others are best forgotten entirely.

2018's Robin Hood thankfully falls into the first category. This reimagining of one of Hollywood's favorite stories follows the titular character as he assembles a team of rebels to take down the Sheriff of Nottingham and rob him of both his gold and his power. While the movie isn't perfect, it's definitely worth checking out. Here are three reasons you should make time for it in October.

Entertainment

10 years ago, this action sequel didn’t get the love it deserved. It’s now streaming on Netflix.

Men stand on boats in 300: Rise of an Empire.

Prior to 300, Zack Snyder established himself as a director with his 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake. But it was Snyder's 2006 adaptation of Frank Miller's 300 comic book that elevated his career and allowed him to go on to direct Watchmen, Sucker Punch, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and a bunch of direct-to-Netflix flicks. Without 300, none of those other movies would have happened.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the sequel to 300, which was called 300: Rise of an Empire. Snyder co-wrote the script, but he stepped aside from the director's chair and allowed Noam Murro to bring the movie to fruition eight years after the original film. However, Rise of an Empire didn't get the same kind of acclaim that its predecessor did, and it was more of a modest hit than a blockbuster. But now that 300: Rise of an Empire is available to stream on Netflix alongside the first 300 movie, it's time to share the four reasons why you should watch it in September.
Sullivan Stapleton is an underrated action star