Chairman Wheeler Says T-Mobile's Binge On Is Pro-Competitive, Pro-Innovation

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said he thought T-Mobile's Binge On zero rating plan was the sort of highly innovative approach the FCC's new network neutrality rules were predicted to thwart, but clearly didn't. Chairman Wheeler appeared to endorse the Binge On offering, calling it pro-competitive and innovative.

"It is clear in the Open Internet order that we are pro-competition and pro-innovation and clearly, this meets both of those criteria," he said. "It is highly innovative and highly competitive." He then said that it appeared the plan does not violate the brightline no paid prioritization rule, but took something off the endorsement. He said the FCC would keep an eye on Binge On per the general conduct standard in those new Open Internet rules, which allows the FCC to look at such business models on a case-by-case basis. That rule, he elaborated, says a carrier "should not unreasonably interfere with the access to someone who is trying to get to an edge provider and an edge provider who is trying to get to a consumer. So, what we are going to be doing is watching Binge On, keeping an eye on it, and measure it against the general conduct rule."