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YOU MIGHT NOT know exactly what zero-rating plans are, but chances are you’re going to hear more about them soon.
Meteor is now the first major mobile provider in Ireland to let customers use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram without counting it towards their data allowance.
So for example, if someone with a 1GB data allowance used 2.5GB browsing Facebook and 500MB on Snapchat, only the 500MB would be counted towards your overall data use.
However, zero-rating deals – sometimes known as sponsored data – are a contentious issue for supporters of net neutrality, the principle of treating all internet traffic and services equally and ensuring a consistent experience overall.
But it’s likely that the deal offered by Meteor will be soon followed by other network providers, offering similar deals for other popular apps.
48, a prepay network aimed towards younger people, already offers a similar deal with WhatsApp but offering the same for three media-heavy apps – Facebook has been pushing video and livestreaming content for a while now, mediums that require a large amount of data - is a significant move.
It’s one that could lead to further consequences down the line. While it’s one of the first major examples here, zero-rating could allow a situation where large apps and services can give themselves an advantage by striking deals with mobile providers.
If data isn’t counted towards a specific app like Facebook and you have a low data allowance, then chances are you’re going to use it more. And for a rival app without that advantage, that would make it even harder for them to compete.
Short-term vs long-term
Shane Lynn and Bart Lehane, the founders of phone deal comparison app Killbiller, say that while it’s a good deal in the short-term, customers should be wary about what it could mean in the long-term.
“From a short-term perspective, this is an attractive deal for someone who uses data on their smartphone, there’s no denying that,” said Lynn.
But it’s a weird one as it helps consumers as it’s the big apps that get onto it but at the same time, it favours the big guys. You can imagine a very value-conscious consumer say ‘I’ll just get my 500MB’ and when that’s gone, their internet use is restricted to these three sites.
Lehane mentions how the issue of net neutrality can come in two forms: “one is pure zero-rating… while the other is you can get the same service for the same price but with better quality”.
It’s the same principle as getting certain services for free. It’s fine as long as they’re in demand and they’re the best in the market, but if a Facebook or Twitter alternative comes out… and [people] are faced with getting one service for free or paying for another, or saying ‘I can get this one at good quality or this one at bad quality’, that’s going to be bad.
When asked about whether its deal would have an adverse effect on net neutrality, the director of Meteor/Eir mobile Maeve O’Malley said there was “no net neutrality impact with zero rating [and] it is not currently expressly prohibited”.
Zero rating is good news for our customers and subject to securing any necessary service provider consents. There is no net neutrality impact with zero rating. It is not currently expressly prohibited.
Although net neutrality is something of a grey area in the longer term and stricter guidelines around the application of zero rating policies may be put in place in the future if zero rating is deemed to be detrimental to the principle of a free and open internet.
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Unlimited data is where it’s at
Meteor use to advertise “UNLIMITED DATA*” a while back (*Fair usage policy applies – 99c per day per 50MB and if you exceed 50MB there was a charge of 99c per MB thereafter.) They was forced to change it to clarify exactly how many gigs you get and also removed UNLIMITED DATA from their price plans.
I fkin hate Meteor.
RandomAct – “UNLIMITED DATA DISINFO” more like :)
Wow 50 is nothing these days.
50MB wouldn’t get you through a single music video on Youtube.
“music” video on “youtube” !!!!!!!
Ok, ok I give in. I’ll buy the fu@kin’ Cheerios.
€20 topup & unlimited data for a month. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Different companies with different offerings is definitely the way to go
If you go over a certain usage your “unlimited data” is significantly slowed down.
I have a 3 contract phone. Heavy Internet user & I roam constantly. I cannot use it when roaming because it’s too expensive. I also have a ready to go 3 UK number & for £25 all I can eat data in most countries across Europe. Why a Irish bill payment number cannot be the same I can’t understand Same company same customers different rules.
No such thing is as unlimited data. It is always capped
I use my phone as a hotspot for downloading and I could download 10movies and a series or two a month, you tube,spotify and 42 away to my hearts content and not once have I run out.. 20 quid a month, makes it worth their shoddy , I’ll tempered customer service ..
Be some job treating to breach it all the same. WiFi wasn’t working on my phone for a while and I’d use my data fairly often, videos etc, nowhere near the fair usage policy
I pay €25.41a month and have unlimited 4G
3′s data usage cap is two TB’s. Don’t think I could reach it if I tried.
25.41, how did they decide on that figure I wonder
VAT etc
The caps are usually a ridiculous amount that would just be unnatural for someone to use it all. Even unlimited calls is like 50,000 minutes and texts the same with meteor. That’s how they get people to sign up , the see unlimited and then jump on it when they will really never need that much.
You STILL need to have a simplicity plan activated or be on Bill pay before you can browse Facebook Twitter and Instagram. (meaning you have to top up and active a plan before you can browse these websites for free)
What I hate is having 15gigs data for a month and not being allowed to use this in the EU. 1GIG of EU roaming data on meteor is 15euro!!!
EU data roaming is now free on meteor. I pay 30 a month which includes all regular and roaming calls and SMS, 4GB data at home and 1GB EU roaming.
Billpay/sim only plans has FREE EU Roaming* Barry. https://store.meteor.ie/sim-only-plans if you look at the small under Fair Usage Policy its only 1GIG that’s free. On pre-pay you dont get any free EU roaming.
Ah forgot about credit. I’ve been on bill pay a long time. Still, 1GB does me fine and I spend 80% of my time travelling internationally. For general web browsing with a bit of YouTube and Spotify its grand. Its better than my bill pay work phone where I get 50MB per day for 2euro on Vodafone.
Credit is for kids…
Question is will the other networks follow suit
Still a shite network
Copying T-Mobile in the States. Facebook and other apps have ‘free’ data for a good while now. Also if you signed up for spotify via T-Mobile, that was also not included in your data usage….
T-Mobile sound very innovative by the sound of it. Any more info? Should I move to the US for this deal?
They are. And I would imagine you should move, should you wish to be their customer. Might work out a bit expensive otherwise.
Explains why my bill went up last month so
Actually no it doesn’t explain that at all.
How old is that photo of the Meteor store!!
2005 it would seem! Marvel at the specs of the Nokia 6021!
NETWORK Technology
GSM
LAUNCH Announced 2005, 1Q
Status Discontinued
BODY Dimensions 106 x 44 x 20 mm, 73 cc (4.17 x 1.73 x 0.79 in)
Weight 88 g (3.10 oz)
SIM Mini-SIM
DISPLAY Type TFT, 65K colors
Size 1.56 inches (~16.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 128 x 128 pixels (~116 ppi pixel density)
- Downloadable wallpapers, screensavers
MEMORY Card slot No
Phonebook 500 entries
Call records 20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls
Internal 2.3 MB
CAMERA No
SOUND Alert types Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack No
COMMS WLAN No
Bluetooth v1.2
GPS No
Infrared port Yes
Radio No
USB Pop-Port
FEATURES Messaging SMS, MMS, EMail, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML
Games Yes + downloadable
Languages Major European languages
Java Yes, MIDP 2.0
- Push to talk
- Presence enhanced contacts
- Organizer
- SyncML
- Voice dial/memo
BATTERY Removable Li-Ion 900 mAh battery (BL-5B)
Stand-by Up to 320 h
Talk time Up to 3 h
MISC Colors Black
SAR US 0.69 W/kg (head) 1.04 W/kg (body)
SAR EU 0.72 W/kg (head)
Price group 3/10
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