Google Responds To FCC Inquiry By Highlighting AT&T’s Hypocrisy

In a blog post, Google has given their take on the whole brouhaha over the restriction of outbound Google Voice calls to phone numbers in "rural" areas. Google wites that the reason they restrict these calls to local phone carriers' in rural areas is not only because they charge pricey termination rates for calls but because these carriers are partnering with adult sex phone operations and free conferencing call centers to drive traffic. Google says that because Voice is a free application, they can't afford to pay for these rates — and that because it is not a traditional phone service, it shouldn't have to. AT&T has also previously tried to block calls to these areas but the FCC mandated that the carrier continue service to these areas to provide universal service. AT&T called Google out a few weeks ago to the FCC, saying that there's no reason that Google should be able to block these calls because of the rates if AT&T can't do this.