The Federal Communications Commission said on Friday it is set to investigate whether Google has violated telecommunications laws via its Google Voice App refuses to connect to some rural connection points.
In a letter sent to Google on Friday afternoon, the FCC requested that Google explain how its application, Google Voice, works and why it is blocking some rural connection points.
Critics say if the agency determines that the service is a traditional telephone service than it will be regulated as one. If it’s not deemed to be a traditional telephony service than it’s unlikely the FCC will be able to do anything.
Google’s lead attorney on this issue is Rick Whitt, and argued that the service is not a traditional phone service because it is free and is an Internet application. He said some calls denied service to rural areas because of high costs of making those connections.
Source: Brainz
Originally posted on October 10, 2009 @ 10:29 pm