Google says it's now blocking 'fewer than 100' numbers in Google Voice
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Oct 29th 2009 2:21AM
posted Oct 29th 2009 2:21AM
The crux of AT&T's recent complaint to the FCC regarding Google Voice was that Google -- not being subject to the common carrier rules that help facilitate fair, open telephone networks -- was blocking customers from accessing numbers managed by rural carriers that charged higher connection fees, thereby giving it a leg up on its Old Guard competition by saving cash in ways AT&T and others are legally barred from doing. Google's hitting back today, not by agreeing to submit to common carrier rules (come on now, don't be ridiculous) but by saying in a statement to the FCC that it's now blocking calls to "fewer than 100" numbers in total now that it has finished implementing new back-end capabilities that allow it to single out specific numbers rather than entire exchanges. Google complains that calls to the top ten exchanges accounted for 26 percent of its entire connection fee outlay -- but yeah, that's pretty much what telcos have been dealing with since time immemorial, so the bellyaching's likely to fall on a lot of deaf ears. For what it's worth, the company is still asking the FCC to make sweeping changes to connection fee policy, but whether this ends up getting them out of AT&T's more immediate concerns remains to be seen.[Via Phone Scoop]
Interesting stuff; I didn't know this was going on. I have to admit, Google (whether it's their legal dept. or otherwise) seems a lot better at responding to 'issues' more quickly than other companies.
In other news, when do you actually sleep, Chris? Weekends?
The service google provides is FREE how can anyone (including AT&T) argue with that? They should make their service free then start complaining
As far as I know, the fact that Google's services are free is EXACTLY why other companies (see Zeigler's post on Garmin and TomTom earlier today) are complaining.
Google Voice is free to the customers, but the service still costs Google resources. What AT&T was complaining about revolves around the fact that Google's move helps it compete unfairly against AT&T and others by arbitrarily blocking calls to numbers that'd cost it too much to connect.
In easier terms: Google Voice would block entire carriers from connecting calls because their fees were too high, and it would cost them too much to do so. Something that would be illegal for AT&T to do.
Personally I don't care, as for most people these rural carriers are a non-issue and charge too much anyway. But that what it's about.
I love how Google keeps proving everything can be done with no cost to consumers.
Ah....and once again, the word 'Google' is uttered and reality flies out the window.
Nothing is free. Just because it doesn't have an up-front monetary cost to the consumer doesn't mean there isn't something else being given up.
Traditional Telcos have VERY strict regulations to adhere to for a very good reason.
Ziegler* (Rule: 'i' before 'e' especially after 'z'?)
I before E except in "Receive"
"i" before "e" except after "c"...
i before e except after c, except in weigh and neighbor ;)
Who gives a flying fuck about AT&T's bellyaching?! Google isn't a teleco and thus isn't bound by common carrier rules to start with. And it's worth repeating that the majority of the #'s being blocked were to 900 #'s and other pay services which AT&T and every other cellphone carrier blocks also. AT&T should spend more time fixing their crappy service and less time worrying about Google.
Actually google is acting as a teleco company when it comes to google voice just as much as they are becoming a GPS company with their new software. Just because they are free doesnt mean they can play against the rules. And because they are providing a free service whereas AT&T and the rest of them charge and make a great deal of money off us it means they are going to be held even tighter to the rules by the competition. Dont get me wrong i love google but fairs fair.
Google always like to change the rules in the middle of the game. Amazingly the refs often let it go, kind of like Shaq's traveling.
I thought they just took out all the rules in the NBA to make it more "exciting" to watch. Oh well college basketball is where its at, Go Cougs.
Last I heard, Google was blocking OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAND!
You try too hard.
Look forward to the FCC's decision on the complaint...
It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
At the moment, with the release of google voice, a bunch of android phones, a new version of android (which looks pretty slick so far), the free turn-by-turn g-nav software (my name for it), etc,...
There appears to be at least a couple industries (and not small ones either) which give the appearance of a combined group of oompa-loompas trying to fight off the death dealing ninja which is the Google.
They are moving fast all of a sudden and with deep pockets and actual innovative products.
I"m going to give it a couple of weeks to see if they release a credit card payment systems along the lines of visa and mastercard, a chain of healthy fast food restaurants with free internet (to compete with mcdonalds), and a space program with a plan to colonize mars by spring.
This is not about fairness or net neutrality. This is all about AT&T being scared that Google has entirely changed the rules of what a telephone is and what a telephone number is. This is no different than if, over a hundred years ago, grain growers had asked Congress to put a special tax on car manufacturers for not using grain to feed the horses which they were eliminating from use. This is all about a new technology arriving which changes the rule and the old guard not knowing how to deal with it. First peopel dropped their home/land lines in favor of cell only. THAT affected traditional phone companies in a big way. In any case rates were ridiculous! Cell service had unlimited calling as standard, so having strange pricing tiers no longer made sense based upon distance for twisted pair. Cell phone service is way too expensive. When an MVNO can charge tons less thanthe service on whose network it is piggybacking, something is wrong. Now Googloe has changed the rules, and instead of becoming more competitive and advancing and changing in the face of new technology, AT&T is trying to protect itself legally instead of working on new solutions and new technology, itself. For example, once Vonage was the best solution for my business. Now, Vonage has only one router and compared to using a cellphone and Google Voice in combination, it is way too expensive. Voice is just one more of many application on cell phones. Cell phone providers have to stop having stupid pricing schemes and must begin to think of themselves as mobile/cell data providers. Voice and texting are just data. 10 cents a message is ridiculous. GoogleVoice is great!
Google Voice regardless of it being free is not excluded from the fees other Telcos have to pay. If any of the regular Telcos have to pay connection fees and cannot discriminate, why should Google be excluded? Telcos lose money and would rather not have to connect, but that is the law and this is what Google is trying to circumvent.
Your argument about MVNOs is not solid. If you look around almost all MVNOs are out of business. When you look at the lower pricing they offer, you've got to look at their balance sheet and how much they've lost. Also, their is an wholesale agreement that may allow them to reduce the price plan. Many companies would offer lower plans or phone prices to attract market share, but as the subscribers grow, there will likely be an increase in fees.
Google, if it wants to act as a Telco, should not discriminate against customers trying to connect to others.
btw: I'm just waiting for an anti-trust/anti-competitive suit against Google.
@bluesmixer:
the irony here being that AT&T has a tendency of not paying connection fees to smaller CLECs around the nation. Pretty much unless you're invoicing them for 'a big number', AT&T simply will not pay your bill.
So let me get this straight....
1. Garmin and Tom Tom are mad at Google for making their turn-by-turn app.
2. Microsoft, Amazon, and Yahoo are mad at Google for Google Books.
3. AT&T is mad at Google about their Google Latitude and Voice app
4. AT&T is made at Google for Google Voice.
Did I forget anyone else?
Apple is the one who is mad about the Latitude and GV apps.
Oops. yeah, that's right.
I love how Google can break the law, and everyone defends them. Invert AT&T in this post, and there would be 300 comments disparraging their unfair business practices and price gouging.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck....it is a....
Everyone has to follow the rules if they're going to be in the game. Period.
Maybe it's time the rules were changed?
not for nothing but most large carriers block access to a handful of numbers, typically party lines or chat conferences associated with abuse. Verizon's unlimited plan is notorious for this.
If ATT gets its way and google isn't allowed to give away this service for free because it doesn't have all of the functions that people pay for (which makes sense), does that mean the government will now be regulating what can be given away for free? What about the google features and functions that it provides and ATT doesn't? Shouldn't ATT be forced to provide those features also?
As long as it is a free service it should not be bound to the rules that the conventional phone companies are bound to. Notice how only AT&T has problems with Google Voice on this issue? You still need a phone number with a traditional phone company. Google is just acting as a secondary way of routing your phone communications. You still have your current phone company for making calls to the blocked numbers. Google also isn't being deceptive about what you are getting and is bringing innovation to the communications industry while the current providers are just raising prices for increasingly poorer service. There are no contracts involved with Google Voice and it doesn't have a monopoly on phone or internet service in certain locations. Look at the ISPs and telecommunications companies, they have monopolies in certain regions that are approved by local governments. If they were allowed to block certain numbers then they would do it and have a plan at a much higher rate that allows you to call people when you leave their infrastructure. The only way Google could, in my opinion, be held to the rules that AT&T is held to is if there is a "premium" version of Google Voice introduced with a fee or if Google starts to charge for Google Voice.