AT&T, Under FCC Pressure, Now Allowing VoIP Over 3G for iPhone

Today AT&T, in a surprise announcement, said it will begin allowing VoIP applications to utilize its 3G network. Before now, VoIP apps such as Vonage and Skype were allowed on Apple’s iPhone, under the condition that they be restricted to Wi-Fi or traditional telephone airtime.

Back in August AT&T admitted, in a letter to the FCC (PDF), to having an agreement with Apple to not create applications that would use their 3G network for VoIP.

It seems odd that AT&T would make this move now, considering the overwhelming strain the iPhone has put on their network. The only reasonable explanation appears to be the increased scrutiny it has received from the Federal Communications Commission in the past few months.

AT&T’s recent FCC problems began when Apple rejected the Google Voice iPhone application. The FCC subsequently launched an inquiry. Apple, Google, and AT&T all responded. Apple denied rejecting the application, saying it was still under review, and added that AT&T had nothing to do with its rejection. AT&T also maintained its innocence. Google placed the blame squarely on Apple’s Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, saying that he personally rejected the application.

Later came more FCC drama, in the form of new net neutrality proposals that could apply to cellular networks, as well as AT&T’s insistence to the FCC that Google Voice’s call-blocking practices were in violation of the same net neutrality principals Google claims to support.

There’s no doubt that AT&T is feeling pressure from the FCC. This could be an attempt to make a case that net neutrality isn’t necessary, at least on cell networks. And I think it’s a safe guess that there’s plenty going on behind the scenes that the general public isn’t privy to. At least not yet.

Whether Apple will go along with this new arrangement and actually approve a 3G VoIP app is yet to be seen. If they do, it could mean free calls for iPhone owners. Assuming AT&T’s network holds up.

UPDATE: David Pogue of the New York Times confirms that Apple is working to get 3G VoIP apps out as soon as possible.