14 DAY TRIAL // AT&T won't be the only US carrier that FCC plans to investigate in the near future, it seems, as the commission has announced recently that it intends to take a closer look into the business practices among US wireless carriers. The issue that surfaced with AT&T, Apple, and the iPhone Google Voice application seems to have been the trigger for FCC's move, which is targeted at handset exclusivity deals, carriers’ roaming deals and spectrum auction rules.
According to IntoMobile, FCC plans on ensuring that the wireless market in the US is a competitive one, although it is mainly controlled by four carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has reportedly stated that the Commission is set to develop policies that ensure innovations and that impact both the society and the economy.
“The Commission seeks comment on whether there are opportunities to protect and empower American consumers by ensuring sufficient access to relevant information about communications services. [...] A robustly competitive mobile wireless market will be essential to realizing the full benefits to American consumers and channeling investment into vitally important national infrastructure. The FCC is seeking to ensure that competition in the mobile wireless market continues to bring substantial benefits to American consumers,” is what FCC has stated when announcing that it will investigate the carriers in the US.
For what it's worth, the FCC inquiry into the matter might not bring along impressive changes in the near future. Even so, things are about to change, IntoMobile notes, as other issues regarding mobile phones and services are already discussed in the Congress, including the mobile phone exclusivity agreements. Still, it remains to be seen what FCC will find and whether some changes in the existing legislation will be made, but, in the end, users should be those to benefit the most from this. Stay tuned to learn more details on this.