FCC Launches Probe into Google Voice

The Federal Communications Communication began an inquiry yesterday into Google Voice, the invite-only call forwarding and voicemail service.

The issue at hand is Google’s blocking of calls to select rural areas. Rural carriers are allowed to charge high termination fees. Fees that carriers such as AT&T are usually forced to absorb. Some businesses, such as sex hotlines and conference calling services, set up shop in these places to take advantage.

However, the FCC does not allow phone companies to block outgoing phone calls. AT&T cried foul after the FCC launched an inquiry into Apple’s blocking of the Google Voice app for the iPhone, saying that Google was not only violating FCC regulations, but its own net neutrality principles.

Here’s the problem, though. Google Voice is NOT a phone company. There are some very important distinctions:

1. Google Voice is a supplementary phone service. You must still provide your own connection.
2. Unlike AT&T, Google Voice is a free service, at least for domestic calls.
3. Presently, Google Voice is by invitation only, and is not available to the general public.
4. Google Voice is 100% optional. Phone companies are usually monopolies.
5. Google does not accept public funding.

Google’s Richard Whitt echoed many of these points yesterday in a blog post. But he also makes a couple of overstated claims about how Google Voice is helping veterans and the homeless. Google, don’t spoil your charitable efforts by trying to use them as some sort of regulatory shield. There’s no class in that.

What do you think? Should Google Voice be regulated like a traditional phone company, or be treated differently? Give us your two cents below.

Full disclosure: I am a Google Voice user.