PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS — T-Mobile customers will soon be getting Netflix service for free, compliments of the wireless company. T-Mobile Corporate Office is located at Four Sylvan Way.
Starting Tuesday, September 12, customers with at least two lines on T-Mobile’s One family plan will be able to activate a standard $10.00-a-month Netflix subscription at no extra cost, T-Mobile announced Wednesday on its corporate website. The deal is open to existing and new T-Mobile customers, as well as to those who already have a Netflix account and those who don’t.
“The future is mobile, over-the-top and unlimited,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a press release.
T-Mobile is positioning the announcement as yet another one of its “Un-carrier” moves that differentiate the company from its much larger competitors, AT&T and Verizon. Those carriers have had a difficult time maintaining the speed of their networks as Americans watch more video and use more data on mobile devices, according to T-Mobile.
When asked whether T-Mobile was concerned that Netflix binges would slow speeds on its network, a company representative said: “Hell no. Our network was built for the video era!”
To activate the complimentary Netflix subscription, T-Mobile customers can go to the company’s website, visit a T-Mobile store, or call a customer service agent. The Netflix service includes access to high-definition videos and allows customers to stream videos on up to two devices simultaneously.
But customers can apply the $10.00 monthly credit from T-Mobile to Netflix’s $12-a-month premium plan, so they would pay $2.00 a month for that service, which offers ultra-high-resolution 4K video streams and allows subscribers to tune to Netflix videos on up to four devices at once.
By default, T-Mobile streams videos in standard-definition, 480p resolution, though it allows customers to choose instead to stream in a higher resolution, which requires far more bandwidth. The company’s standard service plans promise unlimited data, but T-Mobile warns customers that it may slow their network speeds if they consume more than 32 GB in a month.
T-Mobile and Netflix did not disclose the details of their agreement, but T-Mobile indicated it would be paying Netflix on behalf of its customers.
“This is not something Netflix is giving us for free,” Legere said on a conference call with reporters, according to The Wall Street Journal. “We’re taking care of your Netflix bill for you.”
