9/18/2009

FCC apparently doesn't believe that Apple can determine what applications run on its iPhone

There are so many new regulations coming down the pike. Apparently Apple can't tell the app developers even that they meet any particular guidelines.

Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, plans to propose a new so-called net neutrality rule Monday that could prevent telecommunications, cable and wireless companies from blocking Internet applications, according to sources at the agency.

Genachowski will discuss the rules Monday during a keynote speech at The Brookings Institute. He isn't expected to drill into many details, but the proposal will specifically be for an additional guideline on how operators like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast can control what goes on their networks. That additional guideline would prevent the operators from discriminating, or act as gatekeepers, of Web content and services.

The guidelines in place today have been criticized by applications developers like Google and public interest groups for not going far enough to clarify what is defined as discriminatory behavior. Comcast is fighting in federal court an FCC ruling that it violated the guidelines by blocking a video application last year. AT&T and Verizon have said existing rules are sufficient, and more regulation is unnecessary. However, they have also said they wouldn't fight against an additional guideline that focuses on discriminatory behavior. . . .

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1 Comments:

Blogger Lazy Bike Commuter said...

To me it seems more like they're telling me what I can run on MY phone--and they want to make it illegal to jailbreak the phone and use it as I see fit.

They don't have to provide it in their app store, but it seems a bit off to say that the consumer can only have what Apple says they can once they buy the phone.

9/21/2009 11:14 AM  

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