FCC Expected To Inquire About Google Voice Service
By Fawn Johnson, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The Federal Communications Commission will open an
inquiry into Google Inc.'s (GOOG) phone management service, asking how the
service works and whether the Internet giant is restricting any calls, according
to people familiar with the matter.
The letter to Google is expected to be sent later Friday, they say.
At the heart of the inquiry is the allegation that Google may be blocking
calls to certain numbers with high access charges.
Google reserves the right to restrict outgoing calls to some phone numbers,
including adult chat lines and conference-call centers, which charge higher
access fees to carriers. Blocking such calls reduces Google's expenses for the
service.
AT&T Inc. (T) has cried foul about the practice, saying Google is violating
rules designed to ensure phone companies connect all calls. A group of lawmakers
earlier this week asked the FCC for an investigation into the matter, saying the
practice could hurt rural customers.
AT&T also has accused Google of violating open Internet principles, which are
designed to ensure consumers can access all legally available content and use
any attachments they wish for the Web.
The FCC is slated to vote on an open Internet rule later this month. FCC
officials consider the questions about Google Voice to be separate from the open
Internet rules.
Google Voice allows people to link all of their phones to a common number and
manage calls and messages through a single Web site. The service can also be
used to send and receive phone calls and text messages.
Google says its phone management service isn't subject to common carrier
telephone rules because it is free and consumers can use it only if they have a
traditional telephone line.
AT&T and other carriers say they don't want to pay high access charges either.
They were rebuked by the FCC several years ago for blocking such calls, but the
FCC said common-carrier telephone companies can't pick and choose the numbers
they will patch through and those they will block.
-By Fawn Johnson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9263; fawn.johnson@
dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
10-09-091309ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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