Controversy over Comcast's Stream TV service

Washington

IT TURNS out that Comcast's new video app, Stream TV, comes with a big asterisk: if you have access to the service and you are one of the growing number of customers who has to abide by Comcast's 300 GB monthly data cap, Stream TV won't count against it. In essence, you'll be able to watch as much Stream TV as you want and never hit your limit.

While "unlimited" may sound enticing, critics are seizing on the programme as a potential violation of net neutrality - the rules passed by the federal government earlier this year that seek to prevent Internet providers from unfairly favouring some online content, including their own, over that of others. If big cable and telecom companies were allowed to do this, they could unfairly crush competitors and make it hard for consumers to get rival services from Netflix or a startup, these critics worry.