AT&T is giving over-the-top players the option to pay the data charges that its customers would normally incur when accessing OTT services. The new offer, called Sponsored Data, means that AT&T customers are able to use participating OTT services without eating into their data allowance or being billed for the connectivity. The telco emphasised that Sponsored Data traffic will be treated no differently to regular data traffic.

Sponsored Data could be used by online retailers to encourage mobile customers to browse and potentially buy more products, for instance. Healthcare providers might want to give patients free access to m-health services, or marketers could promote content and services by offering free access to promotional material such as videos and games.