Comcast's new streaming app doesn't count against your cap
Following T-Mobile's lead, Comcast is launching a new streaming TV app that will not count against users' data caps. The app, called Stream TV, is "an IP cable service delivered over [Comcast's] managed network to the home" company reps told Ars Technica. Since the data travels over Comcast's IP gateway rather than the internet proper, the traffic won't count against a user's monthly limit.
What's more, the $15/month service reportedly delivers cable-quality video -- including stations like HBO, ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, PBS, Telemundo and Univision -- without the need for a set-top box or even actual cables. It's currently available for internet-only users in Boston and Chicago, though the company plans to roll the service out to the rest of the country next year.
Like T-Mobile's offering of select partner streaming services for no data charge, Comcast's new app doesn't technically break recently erected net neutrality rules since so-called zero-rating schemes aren't expressly prohibited under the statute. However, the FCC does allow complaints against these practices and its commission rules on them on a case-by-case basis.
