The Wireless Internet Access Door is Opening

TechCrunch has a short summary about the FCC actions yesterday to probe the refusal by Apple to allow Google Voice and related apps on the iPhone.

This inquiry is a really a big deal for the wireless providers, far beyond the specific issues of the iPhone and AT&T's exclusive contract for selling and carrying traffic to/from iPhones. Google wants openness while the carriers want control of both apps and traffic to protect their revenues.

This will take a while to play out, but more rather than less openness will eventually prevail.

This policy game has played out in the past, the distant (pre-wireless, pre-internet past), when the old AT&T monopoly for all telephone services, including end-user devices was broken open by the Carterphone decision eliminating the prohibition against connecting non-AT&T/Western Electric devices to the network. AT&T obviously lost that battle and the wireless carriers, though not monopolies, eventually will lose this one too.

Technology, particularly software-driven advances, will prevail aginst the walled garden business model..