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The
AFM said the practice, often called "zero rating" is a violation
of Dutch net neutrality rules, because it puts rival services
such as Spotify at a competitive disadvantage.
Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile Netherlands, which had
introduced the product on Oct. 10, must stop offering it or face
penalty of 50,000 euros ($52,000) per day, the AFM said.
Zero rating is shaping up as one of the major battlegrounds for
European telecommunications companies as they seek ways to
attract customers. The Dutch net neutrality law unambiguously
forbids the practice, but European Union rules are less clear.
T-Mobile could not immediately be reached for a reaction. The
AFM said it expects the company may launch a legal challenge to
the decision.
($1 = 0.9578 euros)
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Keith Weir)
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