Changes in app usage can hurt consumers' pockets. Find out more!
People who have a data plan with any of the major carriers in Brazil are aware that these packages usually offer unlimited use of social media. This means that you can use WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram for free, most of the time. This type of plan is a great advantage because often your internet is only used for other things.
However, changes could turn this reality in favor of operators and against Brazilians. Changes to this plan advantage are getting closer and closer. Continue reading to understand better.
No more zero-rating
To the largest telecommunications operators Vivo, Tim and Claro no longer want plans with unlimited networks. Applications such as WhatsApp, Twitter (new X) or TikTok will now have their usage discounted from the allowance.
Zero rating, which has been used for the past few years, is on its way out. This practice represents a commercial strategy by internet operators to provide unrestricted access to certain applications, as has already happened with WhatsApp in several plans. Now, TIM, Claro and Vivo are rethinking these packages and evaluating traffic rates.
For years, carriers have been using “unlimited access” to certain apps as a tactic to sell plans. This practice consists of not deducting the data used by these apps from your internet allowance. However, data usage has increased with 4G (and is expected to increase even more with 5G) and has made companies rethink whether it is worth maintaining a zero rating for all apps.
A reassessment is underway, but rest assured, this won't change overnight. Plans are likely to change, but users will be notified.
Unlimited usage in applications
According to Claro CEO José Feliz, unlimited usage was a “mistake,” but “nothing can be fixed.” The carrier currently offers unlimited WhatsApp, Waze, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook depending on the plan.
Meanwhile, Vivo says it is reevaluating its practices and is not establishing this standard yet, despite having some packages with unlimited network use. Business vice president Alex Salgado says Vivo understands that the investment in the network must be reimbursed, which is why it has increasingly reduced the number of unrestricted applications available on the market.
The executive also confirmed that unpaid traffic is always expensive for the company, and the assessment is to understand whether the operator is actually attracting more customers than it is spending on the practice. Currently, the company only offers access to WhatsApp on most prepaid and postpaid plans, which is still expensive, since the application allows audio, photos and videos.
TIM is another company that is being reevaluated. Currently, the company offers free access to WhatsApp and Deezer without increasing the internet quota on prepaid plans. For postpaid plans, other apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are included. According to information from the company's revenue director, Fábio Avellar, TIM wants to increase its profits by investing in networks such as 5G. This could affect the zero rating.
