Open Internet groups to file FCC complaint over AT&T FaceTime blocking

Open Internet groups to file FCC complaint over AT&T FaceTime blocking

After AT&T revealed to us it was planning on blocking FaceTime over cellular for customers not on its pricy Mobile Share plans, an attorney at advocacy group Public Knowledge suggested the carrier’s decision violated the FCC’s Open Internet rules and warranted an investigation. Today we get word (via from GigaOM) that Public Knowledge, the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute, and Free Press are planning on filing a complaint with the FCC: “On Tuesday, Free Press, Public Knowledge, and the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute notified AT&T of their intent to file a formal complaint against the company. In the complaint, the three organizations will assert that AT&T is violating Net Neutrality by blocking the popular video-conferencing application FaceTime. The groups will together file a complaint with the agency in the coming weeks. Today’s release provides the necessary 10 days notice of intent to file required by the FCC’s Open Internet rules. As for what will be included in the complaint…

According to a press release from Free Press, “under the Open Internet rules the FCC passed in 2010, AT&T cannot block apps that compete with the company’s traditional voice-calling service.” Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood said, “It’s particularly outrageous that AT&T is requiring this for iPad users, given that this device isn’t even capable of making voice calls. AT&T’s actions are incredibly harmful to all of its customers, including the deaf, immigrant families and others with relatives overseas, who depend on mobile video apps to communicate with friends and family.”

 We already received AT&T’s initial response to the controversy last month:

“The FCC’s net neutrality rules do not regulate the availability to customers of applications that are preloaded on phones. Indeed, the rules do not require that providers make available any preloaded apps. Rather, they address whether customers are able to download apps that compete with our voice or video telephony services. AT&T does not restrict customers from downloading any such lawful applications, and there are several video chat apps available in the various app stores serving particular operating systems. (I won’t name any of them for fear that I will be accused by these same groups of discriminating in favor of those apps. But just go to your app store on your device and type “video chat.”) Therefore, there is no net neutrality violation. Free Press also has a petition you can sign.

http://9to5mac.com/2012/09/18/open-internet-groups-to-file-fcc-complaint-over-att-facetime-blocking/