Senators raise throttling concerns with mobile carriers

Sens. Markey (D-MA), Blumenthal (D-CT), and Wyden (D-OR) raised concerns that T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T “may be inappropriately throttling and prioritizing internet traffic from common mobile apps without the knowledge of their customers.” The Senators noted that, “such practices would violate the principles of net neutrality and unfairly treat customers who are unaware that their carriers are selecting which services receive faster or slower treatment.”

University researchers at Northeastern University recently found that Sprint is throttling -- or slowing down data transfers -- Skype, a video communications app. The researchers developed an app to monitor wireless carriers after the FCC repealed its net neutrality rules earlier this year and found that Sprint and Boost (Sprint’s prepaid subsidiary) have been throttling Skype in 34 percent of tests this year.

The Communications Workers of America supports three bright-line, common sense net neutrality rules – no blocking, no throttling, and no favorable treatment of some websites and applications over others – to protect a free and open Internet.

Links:

Sens. Markey, Blumenthal, and Wyden Letter on Throttling (FierceWireless, Nov. 15, 2018)

Researchers Believe Sprint Is Throttling Skype Without Telling Consumers (Vice, Nov. 9, 2018)

New research shows that, post net neutrality, internet providers are slowing down your streaming (Northeastern University, Sep. 10, 2018)

Net neutrality goes away on June 11 (Speed Matters, May. 14, 2018)

Opponents of proposed T-Mobile-Sprint merger detail public interest concerns (Speed Matters, Nov. 2, 2018)

CWA: FCC vote will damage free and open Internet (Speed Matters, Dec. 14, 2017)