FCC Asked To Investigate AT&T's Restriction On iPhone 3G Skype Calls
by Dave Clarke
April 4, 2009
Those of you with iPhone 3G's loaded with the recently released Skype application have likely found themselves only to be able to make and receive phone calls while using a WiFi connection. There's a reason behind that: AT&T doesn't want us using Skype to make phone calls instead of using minutes allocated in our respective calling plans thus resulting in possibly less revenue for AT&T in the long term. Lucky for us, an internet advocacy group called Free Press has formally asked the FCC to investigate the legality of the restrictions put in place both by Apple and AT&T to enforce the prevention of making and receiving phone calls while not on WiFi.
According to report in the Wall Street Journal, "Free Press and other consumer advocates want the FCC to affirm that so-called net neutrality protections also cover wireless networks," the Journal's report explains. "That would prevent AT&T or other operators from blocking services like Skype on their mobile networks."
It will certainly be interesting to see what the outcome, if any, will be and the effects it may have on the iPhone and other mobile phones in general. Until and if the FCC takes any action, users of Skype on the iPhone will be forced to use WiFi-only to use it's core functionality: making and receiving calls.
If you had the option of using Skype while connected to AT&T's 3G network, how often would you use it as an alternative to using your minutes allotted with AT&T? Do you think enough people even use Skype enough to take away any revenue from AT&T? Sound off in the comments below!
[ via AppleInsider ]