It has been quite a interesting week for Apple, Google and AT&T. First Apple banned the official Google Voice and related apps from the iTunes AppStore and then FCC started its inquiry on the matter.
Google Voice assigns a single phone number to a user’s cellphone, land line or Internet phone accounts. It also allows free text messaging and inexpensive international calls. This makes the subscriber completely independent of the carrier. And precisely for this reason Apple has banned the Google Voice app from its App Store (to safeguard AT&T’s interests?). [Only Gizmos]
After Apple took down Google Voice from the Appstore, leaving many iPhone owners in despair and anger, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) send out letters to Google, Apple and ATT seeking information on this issue. FCC’s is concern is to protect consumers interests, however a question that I would raise is why such an inquiry when the aggrieved developers is Google? There have been other cases where consumer interest were affected (VOIP over 3G? SlingPlayer?). Any-way’s AT&T has responded claiming that it has nothing to do with App Store rejections!
AT&T does not manage or approve applications for the App Store. We have received the letter and will, of course, respond to it.
This throws the ball in Apple’s court where it is liable to answer FCC on its actions. Google certainly has its connections right


iPhone / iPod touch downloads
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Apparently SlingPlayer issue was due to ATT TOS http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/atandt-issues-official-statement-on-slingplayers-3g-blackout-for/