AT&T Considering Billing App Developers so That Customers Get Free Data With Games

[Maura]

[FONT=&amp]
The Wall Street Journal reports from the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona that AT&T is looking into how it can bill app developers for data charges instead of its customers. According to the WSJ, John Donovan, the man in charge of AT&T’s network and technology, spoke about the company’s plans in an interview in Barcelona. [/FONT]

"A feature that we're hoping to have out sometime next year is the equivalent of 800 numbers that would say, if you take this app, this app will come without any network usage," he said.

The move would apply particularly to movie streaming apps or data-hungry games that currently eat up huge chunks of a customer’s data allowance, and would obviously be very popular with the customer, although the WSJ adds that some consumer groups are not so happy, saying that this could skew the app market in favour of those app developers and publishers who can afford to pay AT&T to include data allowance in their apps, leaving poorer indie developers at a disadvantage.

[FONT=&amp]Source: AT&T Plan Would Let App Makers Pay for Subscribers' Data Use - WSJ.com[/FONT]

 

[MikesTooLz]

This would be good for people who only use the ipad over wifi or if they only use the ipad for things like iBooks.

They could then get new content where ever they are and the download cost is in the price of what they purchase.

sort of like how the barns & noble eReades were. They had built in data connection that let you purchase and download new books without paying for data.