Ina Fried, writing for re/code:

Verizon plans in the next few days to start testing so-called sponsored data, the equivalent of toll-free calling for the Internet age.

“The capabilities we’ve built allow us to break down any byte that is carried across our network and have all or a portion of that sponsored,” Verizon Executive VP Marni Walden said during a wide-ranging interview this week.

Wow. This is like those podcasts where every single element is sponsored, tagged with a name like the “Subway Fresh Take Hotline”.

Sponsored data, as the name implies, allows consumers to access certain content without having to eat into their own data plans. Instead, a third party pays for it.

Verizon is working with just a few partners in the testing phase, but said next year this feature will be available to all comers at an affordable rate.

Sponsored data gives Verizon a chance to be first in line to collect ad revenue. Presumably, following a sponsored link would present content without ads, or with specific ads exclusive to the sponsor. One question is, will Verizon build their own version of the Google ad mechanism? Will they track you, present sponsored content targeted at your browsing habits?