Following reports earlier this month that AT&T is blocking FaceTime over Cellular for users who don’t subscribe to their new shared data plans, comments from FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski suggest that he may look into the matter, and possibly launch an investigation.
The Verge reports (via 9to5Mac, emphasis added):
Genachowski said that he couldn’t comment specifically on AT&T at this time, but that if a good-faith effort to resolve the issue “doesn’t lead to a resolution and a complaint is filed, we will exercise our responsibilities and we will act.” But the FCC shouldn’t be waiting long to receive a formal complaint: internet and net neutrality advocates responded swiftly to AT&T’s actions, claiming that the FCC’s Open Internet rules clearly prohibit arbitrarily limiting a service like FaceTime over specific networks.
AT&T previously responded that their move was not a Net Neutrality violation, and didn’t violate FCC rules (ie, “we can get away with it“), but the Free Press later called them out, stating that they “invented” an exemption that simply doesn’t exist in the FCC rules to attempt to justify their actions. Yet, as we’ve stated time and time again, the real point is something deeper:
Of course, whether or not AT&T technically violated FCC rules is really beside the point – the bigger issue is their ongoing tendency to bully their customers, and repeatedly engage in blatantly anti-consumer actions that hurt their customers in the long run.
AT&T is the only carrier forcing their customers onto new wireless plans to take advantage of the feature, which Apple introduced with their latest iOS 6 firmware.
All I can say at this point is: Go get ’em, Chairman Genachowski. They deserve whatever they get after engaging in yet another obvious anti-consumer move to bully their subscribers in the name of the Almighty Dollar.
