Welcome!

Politics makes strange bedfellows, and technology is no exception. Teknocratix brings you the latest news and analysis of the politics of tech.

Contact

Josh Centers
Email | Twitter

Twitter

Topics

Creative Commons License

Google Wars: The Death Star Strikes Back

attdeathstar The battle between AT&T and Google is getting hotter, as the telecommunications giant sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday, calling for tighter regulations of the search juggernaut’s Google Voice service.

If you haven’t been keeping up, let us bring you up to speed. Back during the summer, Apple told Google that it couldn’t play with its favorite toy in the whole wide world, the iPhone. Mommy FCC stepped in and asked what was going on. Apple said Google was trying

Continue reading Google Wars: The Death Star Strikes Back

FCC Launches Probe into Google Voice

voice-main-video 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

Continue reading FCC Launches Probe into Google Voice

Speakeasy Latest VoIP Provider to Block Calls, Thumb Nose at FCC

Speakeasy_Inc_Corp_Logo ISP and VoIP provider Speakeasy is following MagicJack and Google Voice in blocking calls to rural areas, and may be violating FCC regulations in doing so.

Harold Feld at Wetmachine.com posted an email on Oct. 1, sent by Michael Czerwinski, VP of Customer Service at Speakeasy, informing users of the update to the Terms of Service. The email explains that certain numbers are being blocked, such as those from “adult lines” and “free conferencing” services that

Continue reading Speakeasy Latest VoIP Provider to Block Calls, Thumb Nose at FCC