YouTube now on T-Mobile’s ‘Binge On’ after earlier spat

NEW YORK – T-Mobile and YouTube have come to terms after a public spat over the phone company’s “Binge On” video streaming service.

That means most T-Mobile customers can, starting Thursday, watch YouTube videos without using up their cellphone data.

T-Mobile had in November partnered with a couple dozen video providers, including Netflix, Hulu and HBO, to let its customers stream video without using up their phone data.

YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet, didn’t like that T-Mobile then delivered all video in DVD-level quality, which is worse than HD – even video from companies that hadn’t joined Binge On. YouTube, as well as others, including digital-rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, criticized this as throttling. T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a video posted online that that was “a game of semantics” and that customers could opt out and stream higher-quality video if they wanted. Customers would use up more data if they did that.

Proponents of net neutrality, the concept that Internet service providers should treat all traffic equally, are concerned about efforts by T-Mobile and other ISPs, including Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, to exempt some video or other online activities from data caps. They worry that could lead to some Internet companies paying cable and phone businesses for better access to consumers. (T-Mobile doesn’t charge video companies to participate in Binge On, however.)

T-Mobile has changed its service to appease YouTube. Now T-Mobile allows video providers to manage video streams themselves, which YouTube is doing. Video providers can also choose whether they want to be able to stream their video at a higher quality. If they do that, T-Mobile customers will have to use more data to watch it.

YouTube also said in a blog post that T-Mobile has made it easier for customers to turn off Binge On so that they can watch HD video.