T-Mobile is expanding its “Music Freedom” program to include Xbox Music, Google Play Music, SoundCloud and 11 others, more than doubling the number of services that can be streamed on T-Mobile without incurring data charges.
In a news release announcing the program’s expansion, T-Mobile sought to head off potential criticism that it’s giving preferential treatment to music providers, a key issue given the debate over proposed Net Neutrality regulations, which could potentially hinder programs like Music Freedom that distinguish between different types of data.
The company said, “not only is Music Freedom available for T-Mobile customers at no extra charge, it’s also completely free for music streaming providers. No backroom deals. No paid prioritization.”
The program was announced by T-Mobile in June with services including Pandora, Rhapsody, iHeart Radio, iTunes Radio, Slacker and Spotify included at launch. Users still need to pay for subscription to those services, when applicable, but the T-Mobile program lets them stream over the cellular network without counting against data limits.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere has said he’s in favor of less regulation in the Net Neutrality debate.
