Three dumps data charges for Netflix and other streaming services

If you worry about racking up big bills by streaming video and music to your phone, help is at hand. Three's new tariffs do away with data charges for Netflix, TV Player, Deezer and SoundCloud, so you can stream as much as you like without worrying about the cost.

The tariffs are called Go Binge. In order to qualify, you'll need an Advanced plan with at least a 4GB data allowance - these start at £12 a month.

However, there's a catch. Existing contract, SIM-only or broadband customers will have to switch to a higher price plan in order to qualify. This applies even if you're already on the £12-a-month tariff, so you'll have to start paying at least £15 a month. New customers will be eligible if they take out the cheaper £12-a-month Advanced plan.

The deals kick in from tomorrow.

According to Three's research, binge-watching and -listening is on the rise. Twenty-one per cent of Brits say bingeing is the only way they watch a TV series, while 22 per cent binge while on-the-go.

More pressingly, 40 per cent of respondents worry about spending too much on their data while bingeing on their phone.

Three says these new tariffs will help quell this anxiety.

"It's my ambition to unlock any restrictions that stop consumers from enjoying their mobiles and using them to do the things they love," said Dave Dyson, Three's chief executive. "With Go Binge, we are the first network in the UK to give people the freedom to use their data to stream their favourite shows and music without any boundaries and without worrying about restrictive data allowances and charges."

Binge-watching is a relatively recent phenomenon, fuelled by the rise of streaming services like Netflix. Said services often make entire series available at once, meaning viewers can binge-watch the whole thing over the course of an evening or a weekend.

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