Following last month’s report that AT&T is likely planning to charge users extra to use Apple’s FaceTime feature over their cellular data networks, U.S. Senator Al Franken has now come forward condemning the idea.
In an interview with Nilay Patel of The Verge, Franken revealed his thoughts on the matter:
“That’s wrong,” he quickly replied when told of rumors that claim Ma Bell may place a premium on Apple’s video chat technology when iOS 6 launches this fall. “Because that’s not the architecture we’ve had.”
Franken goes on to say that charging extra for the feature would be a violation of net neutrality, although he also notes that it’s important that carriers be allowed to manage their networks, and take action against services that could congest their networks. He also noted, however, that FaceTime doesn’t fall in that category.
Not irritating senators is, of course, in AT&T’s best interest. It remains to be seen whether screwing their customers to make a few extra bucks takes priority. Franken’s full remarks can be seen below.
