The end of Deutsche Telekom’s StreamOn and the Vodafone Pass due to the Federal Network Agency’s zero rating ban is approaching. Telekom informed its customers last week about the consequences from April 1, 2023 by e-mail and on the Internet and Vodafone published corresponding FAQs. While Telekom only offers a one-off 90-day flat rate, Vodafone customers can count on a permanent increase in data volume.
With the zero rating options of the telecom providers, no data volume was counted towards certain online services – they did not reduce the data volume. The service called “StreamOn” by Deutsche Telekom contained the options StreamOn Music, Music & Video, Gaming and Social & Chat including all business variants. The equivalent of Vodafone, the “Vodafone Pass”, included the chat, social, music and video pass.
One-off flat rate vs. permanent increase in data volume
After March 31, 2023, Deutsche Telekom will offer its customers one-time unlimited surfing in the mobile network for 90 days as compensation. The flat rate is currently only reserved for the MagentaMobil XL contract – there permanently. In connection with Telekom’s MagentaEins promise, however, different contract conditions are also possible. According to Telekom, the one-time 90-day flat rate can be booked free of charge in the associated app or on the Internet between April 1, 2023 and May 31, 2023 – after that the offer expires.
Vodafone, on the other hand, will offer its pass customers an additional data volume every month after March 31, 2023 as a replacement – according to the Vodafone FAQ also customers who received the pass contractually but never activated it. All that is required is activation in the MeinVodafone app. Vodafone has not yet announced how high the data volume will be on its website, but the mobile operator wants to provide more information via SMS.
net neutrality
The background to the ban on StreamOn and Vodafone Pass is net neutrality, according to which “the uniform application of the EU regulation for access to an open and free Internet should be guaranteed”, which was published in August 2016 as “guidance”. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in September 2021 that the use of certain applications or services without deducting the data volume included in the tariff violates EU law.
Deutsche Telekom already adjusted its tariffs in July 2022 and equipped them with more data volume. For existing customers who previously had zero-rated tariffs, these options will now expire on March 31, 2023, and the use of the previously “free” services – without affecting the contractual data volume – will be credited again.
(bme)
