swigs
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
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 Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject: FCC is Crazy for Google |
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One of the better articles on the whole FCC/Google/ATT/Apple thing.
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I can't figure out how digging into Apple's App Store advances what FCC Chair Julius Genachowski calls "a competitive wireless marketplace." The smartphone marketplace is already insanely competitive. The FCC's time could be much better spent on actual industry-wide, anti-consumer collusions like overcharging for individual text messages, locking people into contracts well beyond the point when they've paid off their phone subsidies, or making exclusivity deals that prevent rural users from getting access to particular phones.
Apple doesn't have a monopoly on the smartphone business; in fact, they're not even No. 1 in the U.S. (that would be RIM's BlackBerrys) or globally (that would be Nokia.)
On AT&T alone, if smartphone purchasers or software developers don't like Apple's policies, they can buy a Windows Mobile Samsung Jack, a Symbian-powered Nokia E71x, or a BlackBerry Bold. On other carriers, consumers can pick Google's own Android OS or Palm's WebOS. In fact, you could argue that there's too much competition in the mobile OS space�it's so fragmented and confused, it could probably use a little consolidation.
There's no collusion, no industry-wide conspiracy to kill Google Voice which would bring out the trustbusters. Net neutrality doesn't seem to play a role here either. Google Voice is available on other AT&T phones, on T-Mobile's two Google Android phones, and on Verizon and Sprint BlackBerries. There is no shortage of ways to get Google Voice on a smartphone in the U.S.
No, this is just Apple being Apple. They're allowed to make bad or just plain confusing business decisions. Consumers and investors should punish them for it in the marketplace, the way Michael Arrington is doing by giving up his iPhone.
Of all the questions the FCC is asking Apple and AT&T, the only one they could remotely have an interest in is whether AT&T is barring VoIP applications from being used over their network. But then there's no reason for the FCC to go plumbing around in Apple's application-approval policies; they could just ask AT&T about VoIP and be done with it.
The FCC's interference here could actually help Apple, by making their approval process more transparent and thus more appealing. But why should the FCC stop with Apple? There are lots of problems to be solved. Why doesn't the FCC work to speed up the Windows Mobile version releases, or program a new browser for the BlackBerry OS? That's basically what's happening here: The government is taking a company's legitimate business weakness and literally making a federal case out of it.
With all rational explanations shot down, there's only one other, slightly more sinister possibility: Google has a lot of juice in the Obama administration, and they're throwing their weight around. After all, Schmidt is one of the president's technology advisors, and Obama's deputy CTO Andrew McLaughlin is a recent former Google employee.
That isn't proof, of course, but it still leaves me pretty uncomfortable. If the FCC wants to avoid the appearance of impropriety and really wants to be an impartial player on the side of competition, they need to back off and let the market take its course here. |
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351125,00.asp
While I would like GV in the iphone App store, I think the FCC is full of sh*t for investigating this. And think this current administration if messed up when it comes to their view on the governments role in our lives! The current administration is Big Brothers best friend. First a stimulus package to make us in debt to the Chinese, then social health care, and now the FCC is pulling strings for Google (the real monopoly) for an App! on a phone which is irrelevant to what the FCC should be doing. Complete bull. Can't wait till a new administration comes in, definitely not voting for Obama or Palin. Probably some third party member whom realizes that we are making America in more and more debt. Sorry for the rant, just the straw on the camels back with my political views...  |
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