The German Federal Network Agency will examine the zero-rating service Vodafone Pass announced by Vodafone Deutschland today which enables mobile network customers to use selected apps without reducing the high-speed data volumes of their tariffs.
“The Federal Network Agency will inspect the new Vodafone tariffs on the basis of the regulations regarding net neutrality and, following the closure of the examination, decide whether or, respectively, to which extend adjustments are necessary,” a spokesman of the competition authority told Broadband TV News.
The Federal Network Agency is already investigating the comparable zero rating service StreamOn Deutsche Telekom introduced in April 2017. With the controversial tariff option, mobile network customers can use selected video and music streaming services without using up their high-speed data volume.
Consumer protectors consider this to be a violation of net neutrality, the equal treatment of all data on the internet.
Vodafone Deutschland wants to introduce four zero rating passes as part of its new Red and Young tariffs launching on October 26, 2017. The passes enable unlimited use of video, music, social media and chat apps, but only cover apps from partners cooperating with Vodafone Deutschland.
Both Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom stress that they would take all interested providers aboard their zero-rating packages.
