Earlier this week it was reported the CRTC was further probing mobile TV apps from Rogers, Bell and Videotron, claiming the wireless carriers were prioritizing their own content as these streaming plans didn’t use regular data, but subsidized allotments.
In other words, subscribing to 10 hours with a carrier’s mobile TV streaming app was cheaper than streaming 10 hours with a non-carrier TV app like Netflix.
Around the same time of the CRTC inquiry, Rogers modified their Anyplace TV page to update a change in policy. The fine print now adds:
Please note effective August 18, 2014, this $5/month option will no longer be available. Instead, from that date onwards, standard data usage and charges will apply to your use of the app on our wireless network.
The timing of the change appears to have taken place around the same time the media was covering the additional CRTC probe into the matter.
Rogers sent the following statement to MobileSyrup explaining their reasoning for the change:
Effective August 18, 2014, we’re no longer offering the $5 Rogers Anyplace-TV offer. Customers can still access the great content on RAP TV, but at standard data charges. We began notifying our customers of the change in June. The $5 plan was originally designed to encourage customers to try the RAP-TV mobile service and become comfortable with accessing video content on their device. We regularly review our products and pricing and decided to simplify the RAP-TV experience by applying standard data charges to all data accessed over our wireless network.
Earlier this year, Rogers was rumoured to have signed $100 million worth of content deals, part of their plans to introduce a Netflix rival. With their recent $5.2 billion NHL rights deal, customers can expect more content from the company to stream to their mobiles.
Will this CRTC investigation result in lower data plans? If wireless carriers want customers to stream their TV content over data networks, current data pricing will surely result in overages.
Are you a Rogers Anyplace TV customer? What do you think about this change?
