AT&T and Verizon both working on sponsored data offers

The nation's two biggest wireless carriers, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, have entered another competitive arena, this time over so-called "sponsored data," which gives customers access to low-cost or toll-free data.

In such programs, third-party vendors generally work with the carriers to offer apps or other content to customers without eating into the users' own data plans. The third parties, which can be as diverse as hotel chains or app makers, usually pay for the data that is required to use their app or service.

T-Mobile's recently announced Binge On free wireless video service seems to be about the same thing as sponsored data, except that T-Mobile said it won't charge 24 video-streaming service companies for the service.

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