T-Mobile makes it easier to turn off Binge On

T-Mobile is making it easier for customers to turn off Binge On, its controversial service that lets customers stream video online without using up their monthly data allotment.

Customers will now be able to call certain numbers to turn the feature on or off, according to the company, which also said it will also make it easier for users to change their settings using the company’s website.

{mosads}Binge On allows users to consume online video without hitting their data caps, but it also involves downgrading the quality of the video, which uses less data. The changes will make it easier for users to watch videos at their full resolution when they want to, the company said.

The shift also makes it easier for customers to turn off the feature entirely, since it is enabled by default.

The move comes as the program faces criticism from some and scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission.

Critics contend that by downgrading video quality not only for video services participating in the program but also non-participating services, T-Mobile is engaging in a form of throttling Web traffic. Some also say that allowing customers to access only some content without charge violates net neutrality, or the idea that all content on the Internet should be treated in the same way.

But T-Mobile says those concerns haven’t put a damper on users accessing the service. The company said on Thursday that users with access to Binge On were watching more than twice as many hours of video per day from services in the program than they had before.