Questions raised by bloggers and online media about AT&T's role in the rejection by Apple of an Google Voice app for the Iphone, have prompted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ask the three companies "what gives."  To its credit, it is good to see the FCC asking questions under the new Obama Administration.

Big Picture

Indeed, there is at least the hint of possibilities of progress with proposed FCC inquiries (which still need to be decided upon next week) that may finally explore long overdue problems in the cell phone industry including overall competitiveness of wireless markets, exclusive handset deals, misleading billing practices, contracts and technology used to trap consumers, and fair and open access to networks.

To the FCC:  Take time to carefully explore this marketplace.  It has become a center for the flow of communication, ideas, and cultural expression.  Consumer protection and innovation will be fostered by making companies play by the rules, and creating a marketplace that adapts to consumer demand, not allows a few actors to dictate the future.

Back to the Google Voice App

The FCC asked important questions. BUT, because FCC didn't ask all the questions (ie Was there ANY contact AT ALL from AT&T to Apple on this app? What was it, specifically? Was it solicited by Apple or was it from AT&T?).  Essentially the companies say the following:

AT&T - We didn't have any involvement in the decision(emphasis added), Apple never asked and we never gave input as to the decision.

Apple - We make final decisions on our apps (many of these decisions are becoming more and more controversial as I discuss below) and didn't ask for AT&T's input on our decision.

I'm sorry but that's not good enough for me--to give the companies a free pass.  Many of the media reports have not mentioned this doublespeak.  It's not clear from these statements that there was NO involvement in the app rejection.

AT&T may be capable (at times) of figuring out, monitoring, and designing how its own network works.

Apple may be pretty good at designing a phone and internal applications on that phone.

But, as far as how consumers use the device, and what 3rd party applications, information and expression are available through the network and the phone, consumers are the best to decide. There need to be real limits on companies shaping the marketplace for ideas and culture.

Sure Apple is going to get apps submitted that try to execute malicious code and has the right to refuse these apps. 

However, when Apple rejects an app for using "dirty language," but approves fart-related applications, or rejects an application as it once did for Eucalyptus reader which simply legally provided the ancient book the Kama Sutra, a book that was already available through other Iphone apps, it illustrates the failure of having a company decide what is good for the customer.

Consumers, citizens, must drive the future of services and technology, and the ideas, communication, and expression they carry. Companies must respond to consumer demand, not tell them how it will be.  That's how a real market works.

Apple response

AT&T response

Google response