Apple, AT&T, and Google Voice... here comes the FCC

I've hung back on this for a few days. Mostly because it pissed me off so completely that I was afraid I'd make some sort of terroristic threats if I talked about it. A few days ago it came out that Apple rejected the official Google Voice app from the App Store, and pulled all third-party apps. The claim was that it "duplicated iPhone functionality". That's crap, it doesn't.

Google Voice is a free service that allows you to have one number that rings multiple phones. It also provides full call screening, call recording, cheap international calling, transcription of voicemails, and free SMS. In short, it is the coolest thing to happen to cell phones since their inception. On the Blackberry and Android platforms it is possible to install apps that integrate the phone with Google Voice and make it useful away from a computer.

Now iPhone users cannot get Google Voice apps. Some users (myself included) were already using "GV Mobile" by Sean Kovacs on the iPhone when it was pulled. Now we're left twisting in the wind, not knowing when a change in Google Voice or the iPhone OS will break the app, leaving us with poor access to the service.

What they are doing is removing consumer choice. There is no reason to reject these apps. At least before when something was rejected there was some sort of rational. It was usually the concern that AT&T's network would collapse if people started using too much data. But this... this is just AT&T being scared to death that empowering consumers will hurt their bottom line. They hate the idea that you could have a number that isn't tied to them. None of that messy number porting, just one number for life that they can't control.

So... cut to today. The FCC sent letters to Apple, AT&T, and Google asking a lot of questions about why the official and unofficial Google Voice apps were rejected. They seemed particularly interested in exactly how much say AT&T had in the decision. This gives me hope that someone will decide it's not worth it to block this service everyone clearly wants.

The FCC also wants to talk to the devs of third-party apps that were banned, like the aforementioned Sean Kovacs. It would be great if the FCC gave these people a chance to explain how this decision hurts all involved; customers and devs. Banning GV apps from the iPhone is only good for AT&T.


Update: Word has spread that Apple expects devs of banned apps to cover the cost of refunds to people that bought the apps. All this despite the fact that they no longer have any connection to the app store. This is sort of beyond the pale, Apple. Not only do these people spend weeks or months developing apps only to be told they can't sell them anymore, but they have to cover the cost to refund people that are upset with Apple for pulling them.

I find myself really watching upcoming Android handsets. It's too bad. The iPhone is a great piece of hardware with a great platform. If they'd open it up a little, nothing else would stand a chance.