The GazerBlog

Yes, that’s a pretty rare statement as I still hold the incumbents have all but abdicated the responsibility that comes with being a utility and the steward of a public piece of infrastructure. Instead, they have become wholly beholden only to their shareholders. That’s fine as long as you don’t own the wires that come into my residence. Then do what you want as a profitable company. That aside, this article raises a very interesting point: AT&T accuses Google of violating telecom law

AT&T may be grandstanding, it may be a stunt, it may be posturing. The point is that net neutrality, outside the boardrooms and courtrooms, is in my view about expectations of the customers. Of the users. If you are integrating with a voice communications system, and you say “free calls to landlines within North Amercia” then the expectation is free calls to landlines within North America. Not to have calls blocked because the revenue model falls apart to certain exchanges. If it’s not to all phones, then market it as “Free calls to most places within North America”.

AT&T points out they are prohibited from doing this as it is part of the communications infrastructure. Google is making the case that they are a web application, and not a telecommunication provider. The boundary line seems somewhat clear if you look at the strict definition, but that definition is very blurred when you realize that most telecomms use IP technology in their switches and backbone services now. Your phone calls may be actually VOIP between exchanges even though you’re calling from one POTS line to another. So are the telecomms IP application providers with well-managed networks, or are these web VOIP and telephony service providers just pretend telecomms that can’t bring a true full-features service to the market?

Telephones are critical infrastructure. That is still the primary deployment and notification mode for emergergency services. That’s why the cell providers need to have 911 capabilities as we move forward. It’s time Google, and Vonage and others quit hiding behind the “cowboy upstart” backdrop and get things out of Beta and provide a proper service if they want to integrate with this critical infrastructure. The CLECs have been stepping up and competing quite well without gray exemptions. It’s time the team at Google steps up and grows up. Beta was all nice and cute when you started out. Now start delivering or get out of the way of the guys trying to make a real, reliable competitor to these incumbents.

We need to push the telecommunications fabric forward, and services forward, not just cherry-pick and fragment and fundamental piece of our society’s infrastructure so we can turn a quick buck.

While we’re at it, AT&T can start competing and providing value as well rather than continuously upping rates and providing services months or even years after other wireless providers have them in Europe and elsewhere.

And while I’m wishing, let’s get some unlocked iPhones supported by multiple carriers in each country so we can travel without huge data penalties or needing to buy an iPhone in each country under contract. That part Apple sent us backwards a few years on. Even in Europe.

Well, I can dream. The spectrum auctions in Canada and the US might get us a few steps closer now that the competitors are starting to roll out the services.