AT&T Says Google is breaking Law

AT&T on Friday accused Google of violating the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules by blocking Google Voice calls to some rural areas.

In a letter to the FCC, AT&T stated Google is claiming an advantage over other telecommunications providers by blocking calls, a cost-saving measure that traditional carriers are prohibited from using.

“We urge the Commission to level the playing field and order Google to play by the same rules as its competitors,” wrote Robert Quinn, a senior vice president for AT&T’s federal regulatory issues, in a letter to the FCC.

AT&T also contends that Google Voice violates FCC’s “net neutrality” guidelines, which say consumers are entitled to competition among network and service providers. AT&T said Google breaks the rules by “openly flaunting the call-blocking prohibition that applies to its competitors.”

Google’s telecom and media counsel Richard Whitt said that Google Voice should be allowed to block the calls because it is not a traditional phone service.

“Unlike traditional carriers, Google Voice is a free, Web-based software application, and so not subject to common carrier laws,”

Richard Whitt continued:

“Google Voice is not intended to be a replacement for traditional phone service — in fact, you need an existing land or wireless line in order to use it,” Whitt said. “Importantly, users are still able to make outbound calls on any other phone device.“

AT&T is accusing Google of being a hypocrite when it comes to Net neutrality because it blocks certain phone calls on its Google Voice service…  Something tells us that these three companies have started a pissing match that everyone will need to sit on the sidelines and watch for some time.