Tentative approval of music service within subscription

Music streaming music serviceMusic streaming

Tentative approval of music service within Telenor subscription

The national communications authority doubtfully approves the controversial music service in Telenor’s subscription series named “Yng”.

Today’s practice in Telenor is not satisfactory, the National Communications Authority (Nkom) concludes in an assessment published Friday. Nkom will not give Telenor any indictments presently, but they expect that Telenor will change the scheme so that it becomes more open.

In Telenor’s subscription series “Yng”, the company offers all subscribers free use of music through so-called zero processing. This means that consumers can stream music from external providers without using data traffic, as long as they have not used up all the data traffic they have paid for.

Telia also scrutinized

Some of Nkoms criticism against Telenor’s music service is that zero valuation threatens the principle of an open and free internet. “The present zero valuation offer from Telenor involves an economic discrimination aimed at selected applications,” the assessment states.

“Telenor has expressed a wish to open that other content providers may be included in the scheme, and it is therefore reasonable to allow the company to do this first,” says Senior Advisor Frode Sørensen to Dagens Næringsliv.

The music service is controversial. Among others, the Consumer Council and TV 2 are opposed the order according to Dagens Næringsliv. They fear that zero taxation can make network vendors to become guardians who will decide the content of the internet. For example, the biggest music services will be free of charge, while smaller contestants will literally have to pay to play.

In addition to Telenor, Telia also offer free access to music through services like Spotify and Tidal.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today