Dallas (ip-192.com): AT&T acknowledged in a letter to the FCC that Apple and AT&T have an agreement to block Voice over IP (VoIP) applications from using AT&T’s network. According to the letter send to the FCC, the agreement covers AT&T’s cellular network, but not AT&T’s wireless service.
ZDNet published excerpts from AT&T’s letter to the FCC today: “…AT&T and Apple agreed that Apple would not take affirmative steps to enable an iPhone to use AT&T’s wireless service (including 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi) to make VoIP calls without first obtaining AT&T’s consent. AT&T and Apple also agreed, however, that if a third party enables an iPhone to make VoIP calls using AT&T’s wireless service, Apple would have no obligation to take action against that third party.
…The parties’ willingness and ability to assume the risk of their investments in the iPhone and of their pricing strategy were predicated, in significant part, on certain assumptions about the monthly service revenues that would be generated by iPhone users. In particular, both parties required assurances that the revenues from the AT&T voice plans available to iPhone customers would not be reduced by enabling VoIP calling functionality on the iPhone. Thus, AT&T and Apple agreed that Apple would not take affirmative steps to enable an iPhone to use AT&T’s wireless service to make VoIP calls.”
The article also links to a copy of the letter AT&T did send to the FCC on USA today.
We did originally report about the topic here.
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