Social networks may be excluded from unlimited use. Operators are evaluating changes to their plans.
Anyone who has a post-paid or pre-paid plan with the country's main operators knows that most of the time the packages offer unlimited use of social networks. Usually WhatsApp and Instagram. This is a great advantage, as the internet is often preserved, since using these networks can use up a lot of data from your data plan.
However, a change could alter this advantageous reality for Brazilian customers. Speculation claims that the change in plans will be general and should not take long. Continue reading and find out what changes.
End of unlimited use
Brazil's largest carriers, Vivo, Tim and Claro, are not happy with the unlimited use of networks such as WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube in their plans. Used in recent years, this strategy tends to attract customers who use social networks more frequently.
However, this same strategy, also known as zero rating, has been problematic for operators in terms of revenue. Therefore, the end of unlimited app usage seems to be near.
When contacted, the lawyer for Tim Brasil, one of the largest in the market, said he would not comment on the matter. However, in a recent interview with the newspaper O Globo, Tim's president, Alberto Griselli, said that the trend is to offer other advantages, such as subscriptions to free streaming services instead of unlimited access to apps like WhatsApp, which don't use data from your data plan.
Reasons for change
As a result, your internet plan will be used when you access the networks. One of the reasons for the change is that operators started offering plans when the networks became simpler. Considering the traffic included in the plan, it is clear that operators have classified some of these services as zero (with the practice of not discounting excess data). WhatsApp, for example, was just for messaging a few years ago, but today it is more than that and has many more uses.
Vivo CEO Christian Gebara says the problem is not reducing user access, but rather forcing companies like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google and Apple to collaborate through a partnership.
Gebara said these companies are responsible for about 50% of the world's mobile data traffic and need to invest in these networks because their applications depend on them.
It is worth remembering that to provide this service, operators generally cover data transfer costs or collect this amount from application providers.
WhatsApp in the crosshairs
The complaint from the president of Claro Brasil, José Félix, is that operators spend millions of dollars to maintain unrestricted access to the platforms.
In fact, statistics also show that 621% of Brazilians only access the internet via cell phone. The sale of unlimited plans WhatsApp in Brazil have increased this number a lot. For this reason, the messaging app is one of those most at risk of losing free use in franchises.
Although there is still no deadline to conclude the operator's assessment on the matter, Anatel has started public consultations on the responsibility of technology companies and social media owners. The vote is valid until the end of July 2023.
