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FCC asked to investigate iPhone's restriction on Skype calls
AppleInsider —
... Published: 01:00 PM EST An Internet advocacy group has asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate whether Apple and its US wireless partner AT are violating federal guidelines by restricting consumers from using Skype's new iPhone application to make low-cost internet calls over AT 's network. The request was made Friday by Free Press, a group with a long history of lobbying against cable and wireless companies seeking to place restrictions on how consumers use their services, according the Wall Street Journal . ...
Advocacy group asks U.S. FCC to probe iPhone Skype restrictions
MacDailyNews —
... network provider in Germany, said Thursday it may prevent its T-Mobile customers in Europe from using the Skype service on its iPhones – even on Wi-Fi networks," Schatz reports. "Even if Skype users could use AT 's 3G network, it wouldn't necessarily save them much money, except on international calls. AT requires iPhone users to subscribe to bundled voice and data services, so the cost savings for customers using Skype would be limited," Schatz reports. More in the full article here . [Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Fred Mertz" for the heads up.] ...
Skype for iPhone Sparks Battle Between Consumers and Carriers
MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors —
... that it may take action to prevent its customers from using Skype on the iPhone. On the flip side, an open-Internet advocacy group is asking the FCC to see if AT and Apple are violating federal rules by restricting Skype to just Wi-Fi. Free Press and other consumer advocates want the FCC to affirm that so-called net neutrality protections also cover wireless networks. That would prevent AT or other operators from blocking services like Skype on their mobile networks. ...
FCC
9 to 5 Mac - Apple Intelligence —
The Skype vs. Telcos situation is rapidly coming to a head, both in Europe and now in the US. The Wall St. Journal reports:
The open-Internet advocacy group Free Press asked the Federal Communications Commission Friday to investigate whether Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc. are violating federal rules by blocking the use of a new low-cost Skype voice service on Apple iPhones that use AT&T's 3G network...
Wireless providers, such as Clearwire Corp., have successfully argued they should be able to prevent customers ...
FCC asked to investigate Skype for iPhone restriction
Macworld —
... , Skype for iPhone has been downloaded more than a million times—that’s a rate of six downloads a second, according to the company. All this despite the fact the software only works via the iPhone’s Wi-Fi connection, and not AT&T’s 3G network. That restriction has angered some, who have argued that the practice is anti-competitive. Those allegations have been turned up a notch now, as the Wall Street Journal ...
‘Macsimum Recommended Reading’ for April 3
Macsimum News —
... “Group Presses FCC to Back Skype on iPhone”— Wall Street Journal “Apple Premium Reseller Store opens in Canterbury Saturday: Billed, as the largest independently owned Apple Premium Reseller in the UK, Stormfront will open its latest store on Saturday, 4 April in Canterbury.”— ...
FCC Pressed to Investigate Apple, AT&T Regarding Skype Over 3G [Net Neutrality]
Gizmodo —
... would really only be significant for international or roaming calls. President Obama's FCC chairman nomination, Julius Genachowski, is a supporter of net neutrality, so the FCC may indeed act in Skype's favor as a symbolic gesture. But AT&T;, despite their reputation, is not the faceless evil tyrant in this case: Certainly they should be allowed to protect their core business. At the moment, the FCC has not responded, though it is highly likely they will investigate further. [Wall Street Journal]
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Skype's iPhone App: Open-Internet Advocacy Group asks FCC to Investigate Restriction Imposed on VOiP Calls over 3G
iPhone Hacks —
... app on a jailbroken iPhone, but the solution is only available to users who are technically inclined to hack their iPhone. It will be interesting to see what's the outcome of FCC's investigation. WSJ believes:As always, please let us know what you think in the comments section below. [ WSJ via ...
Skype Locked Out Of AT&T's 3G Network, Runs Crying To...The FCC?
iSmashPhone —
... hand, argue that they have a right to limit bandwidth-hogging services such as file sharing so that their network capacity isn't overwhelmed. (AT&T's corporate stance is even blunter: according to an unnamed spokesperson, "Customers are free to download and use the apps they want, but we have
no obligation—nor should we have—to facilitate or subsidize our
competitors' businesses.") No word on whether the FCC will take on this earth-shattering issue. [Via the Wall Street Journal]
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