Enabling FaceTime Over AT&T’s Mobile Broadband Network

AT&T’s plan to make FaceTime available over our mobile broadband network for our AT&T Mobile Share data plan customers does not violate Federal Communications Commission network neutrality rules. Here’s why.

Providers of mobile broadband Internet access service are subject to two net neutrality requirements: (1) a transparency requirement pursuant to which they must disclose accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of their broadband Internet access services; and (2) a no-blocking requirement under which they are prohibited, subject to reasonable network management, from blocking applications that compete with the provider’s voice or video telephony services. AT&T’s plans for FaceTime will not violate either requirement. Our policies regarding FaceTime will be fully transparent to all consumers, and no one has argued to the contrary. There is no transparency issue here. Nor is there a blocking issue.