back to article Twitter will no longer snaffle data allowances on Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile is allowing customers to access Twitter without paying up for data, in what some might see as one way to ensure users keep using their data allowances. The social whinge platform is now available to use data-free on the UK cell network's 4G plans, alongside WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Jeff Dodds, managing …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Net neutrality please

    Zero-rating entrenches twitter and Facebook, and without competition monopoly capitalism ensures you will never get anything better.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Net neutrality please

      Agreed.

    2. 2460 Something

      Re: Net neutrality please

      I completely agree. It is ridiculous to include these monopolistic companie as freebies if they don't offer the same to all social media platforms.

      How will this be recorded?

      Who has access to this data and what are the data sets?

      How long will this data be kept for after the billing cycle is complete.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Net neutrality please

        Can you reasonably define a "social media platform"?

        Being an el-reg commentard sure counts and I want to browse el-reg free...

        1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge

          Re: Net neutrality please

          "social media platform"?

          To me social media platforms include BBS, IRC as you interact with other people electronically..

          1. e^iπ+1=0

            Re: Net neutrality please

            '"social media platform"?

            To me social media platforms include BBS, IRC as you interact with other people electronically.'

            Don't forget the first (?) one - usenet.

            Free usenet data on mobile plans, please.

    3. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: Net neutrality please

      No need to dress it up as net neutrality: it's plain old anti-competitive behaviour. No doubt Twitter is paying in a bid to stay relevant (no chance there, that ship sailed in about 2015 when the messengers started to replace SMS).

  2. Vimes

    Presumably this involves continual examination of what sites/services are being used so they know which traffic to exclude from the total?

    1. magickmark

      "Presumably this involves continual examination of what sites/services are being used so they know which traffic to exclude from the total?"

      Of course, remember the networks mantra "All your data iz belong to uz"

      Carry on Commander!!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    how much is twitter paying for this?

    After all, that extra 100Mb of data can cost us mere mortals more than £5.00.

    Or are the networks saying that the cost of providing a data connection is close to zero?

    We deserve to know which one it is.

    Or the Tweet addicts can just stop using it 24/7?

    Yeah and pigs might fly.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: how much is twitter paying for this?

      Not a lot.

      Twitter (even with pics and everything) is not a major consumption element in the daily data menu for most people.

      It is a clear case of Twitter doing a deal to try to stay relevant.

      Meah... excuse me while I yawn...

  4. Tony Carter-Inman

    If Three had really wanted us to not worry about data usage, then they would not have removed their unlimited data offers.

    I reduced my Three phone to a basic calls/text plan and bought an EE 50gb mobile broadband box for £25/month.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      When I threatened to leave, they let me keep AYCE One Plan for 18/month. They only restrict me to 8GB/month for tethered usage.

    2. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Assuming you don't spend all your time watching or torrenting HD video you probably don't need to worry that much but for a mobile network bandwidth is an unavoidably scarce resource.

      John LeGere's (CEO T-Mobile US) talk on nudging people to watching slightly lower res vids as a way to manage bandwidth is worth watching as it covers the networks need to manage expectations.

    3. You have not yet created a handle

      "If Three had really wanted us to not worry about data usage, then they would not have removed their unlimited data offers."

      They haven removed their unlimited offer? I still have 4 SIM cards with Unlimited data and they are still available on the website. £32 a month for All you can eat everything (including Feel at Home and 30GB hotspot) is possibly still cheaper than a SIM/Mobile Broadband solution.

  5. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Stop

    But how many people *really* benefit ?????

    Sorry to be cynical, but I'd guess >90% of peoples twittering is done when they are on WiFi.

    So this (very newshumgry, if not newsworthy) story is of marginal benefit.

    In other news, Vehicle Excise Duty on TR6s to be zero-rated.

    1. Steve Foster

      @JimmyPage

      "In other news, Vehicle Excise Duty on TR6s to be zero-rated."

      Most TR6s have been exempt from VED since at least last year, and it's only the last ones off the production line that have only recently gained Historic status.

      Interestingly, more than 40% of all TR6s sold in the UK are apparently still running (according to Wikipedia), and another 15% are SORNed (presumably as restoration projects).

  6. roblightbody

    This is a story about Net Neutrality

    Why on earth does the article not mention this once?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The irony is, I've only really used Twitter much in the past 6 months to (repeatedly) complain about Virgin's awful customer service. You phone up, you get fobbed off. You post on their "community" forum and nobody answers for a week (policy, apparently, to encourage self-help).

    So you're left with Twitter to vent frustration. It doesn't get you anywhere, but at least everyone can see them flailing around not solving problems.

    They've just made it easier to make more complaints. Brilliant!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Virgin? Greedy old whore more like. My sympathies, sir.

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