Katie MarsalAT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone, has complained that Google Voice would have an advantage over other carriers if is not required to follow the same rules as other telephone service providers. Currently, Google's telephony service has the ability to block calls to rural areas where it is more expensive to connect. Federal law prohibits traditional U.S. carriers from blocking such calls.
According to Reuters, a bipartisan group of 20 legislators from rural areas in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote a letter to Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, to investigate the matter.
In September, AT&T wrote a letter to the FCC over its proposed rules for net neutrality. The nation's second-largest wireless carrier argued that Google must comply with the same regulations AT&T must if it plans to compete with traditional telephone operators.
The FCC has already investigated both AT&T and the Google Voice service after Apple refused to accept Google's Voice application into the iPhone App Store. AT&T has denied any role in the program's non-acceptance.
Apple has said that it alone has not accepted the Google Voice application. It has justified that decision by stating that the software too closely replicates the core functionality of the iPhone.
After AT&T, Google and Apple all filed formal letters with the FCC over the matter, discrepancies in each company's version of the events arose. Google claims that Apple outright rejected its application from the App Store, while Apple has countered that it has simply not accepted the application, but continues to review it.
Following a recent push by Genachowski, the FCC chairman, to preserve Net neutrality on all networks, including wireless, AT&T responded by announcing it will allow voice over IP calls via its 3G data network for iPhone users.
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57 Comments
I still don't see why Apple have to approve ANY application they don't want on the App Store.
Just as Apple can't be forced to sell products through the Retail Stores, why should they be forced to have App in the App Store?
I don't see anyone forcing Apple to sell Google Android Phones in the Retail stores, so why do they have to carry a Google App?
Online Stores are not covered by some extra rules.
Nor does Apple have the accept every application that is submitted to it.
They have made the rules, they provide the software fro free, they choose what is made available.
All developers know that when they sign up to be a developer, so what is the issue?
I still don't see why Apple have to approve ANY application they don't want on the App Store.
Just as Apple can't be forced to sell products through the Retail Stores, why should they be forced to have App in the App Store?
I don't see anyone forcing Apple to sell Google Android Phones in the Retail stores, so why do they have to carry a Google App?
Online Stores are not covered by some extra rules.
Nor does Apple have the accept every application that is submitted to it.
They have made the rules, they provide the software fro free, they choose what is made available.
All developers know that when they sign up to be a developer, so what is the issue?
Because when you start involving the airways, it no longer continues to be "a private issue" when there are clear and obvious regulated interests at stake. And lying to the FCC further proves that a wrong is being committed.
Sure, if this were an app that didn't have a telephony component to it, the FCC would have no business here. But, Google Voice DOES deal with communications, and it's pretty obvious they have a stake in this issue, even as they try to pass the control to Apple which isn't as strongly and clearly regulated as AT&T in this case.
Aha Google! You wanted fairness, you got it.
Because when you start involving the airways, it no longer continues to be "a private issue" when there are clear and obvious regulated interests at stake. And lying to the FCC further proves that a wrong is being committed.
Sure, if this were an app that didn't have a telephony component to it, the FCC would have no business here. But, Google Voice DOES deal with communications, and it's pretty obvious they have a stake in this issue, even as they try to pass the control to Apple which isn't as strongly and clearly regulated as AT&T in this case.
I'm beginning to find this "lying to the FCC" charge almost amusing. It's quite clear that GV wasn't allowed on the iPhone for precisely the reason Apple gave. I really don't see how anyone looking objectively at the matter could conclude otherwise. Google has their own mobile platform, so let them offer their full GV experience there. There's no reason Apple has to let a direct competitor take over the iPhone telephony user experience.
If Google wants to be directly in the business of being a phone carrier (which Apple is not), they should operate according to the law just like everyone else.
Aha Google! You wanted fairness, you got it.
I am a big fan of getting the App on the iPhone but I agree with you totally. They should play by the rules.