What’s really going on here? Apple and AY&T are under scrutiny from the FCC; ostensibly because Apple rejected Google Voice and other 3rd party applications from the iTunes App Store. The FCC wants to know why, and what is behind the decision, what role AT&T played in the process. iPhone application developers want a more unified and coherent approval process. Seeking Alpha:
The interesting dynamic here is that the issue really isn’t with Apple, it’s Apple’s partner AT&T that is trying to either get applications modified or removed entirely. Usually the modification is designed to push the data onto WiFI and subscribers typically play a game of installing one of the various commonly available hacks to trick the iPhone into thinking that 3G is WiFI.
I think there’s more to it than a heavy handed AT&T. Could it be that Apple wants the FCC to step in and do away with exclusive contracts and level the playing field so the iPhone can show up on other US cellular networks? You know, networks that actually deliver 3G speed and fewer dropped calls?