Comments on: Apple and AT&T’s Colluding, Anti-Competitive Ways

By: Bob Zeryunkel

Bob Zeryunkel — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:18:15 +0000

@Charlie

Cable companies are not monopolies. They are franchised utilities, just like water, power, mass transit and sewer.

Your municipality entered into an agreement with your Cable provider that allowed tax incentives and wiring rights to the Cable operator in exchange for hefty franchise fees, job creation and improved communication services for the community. If you have an issue with your cable provider you need to take it up with your city council.

Further, Cable companies are heavily restricted by the FCC to have no more than 30% of HH to specifically prevent them from becoming monopolies.

On the flipside, ATT is using massive size, oppressive subscription contracts and a true monopoly on the iPhone to stifle the competition.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:22:30 +0000

hmm, when cable companies, a REAL monopoly, impose bandwidth caps, it is for true quality of service issues; but when AT&T, which at least competes against Verizon, imposes limits it is for anti-competitive reasons….

By: Dave Zatz

Dave Zatz — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:08:51 +0000

I wondered if/when we’d get a comment on them. Fortunately, I very specifically chose the album art linked to an Amazon affiliate code – so, in theory, I’ve stayed within Amazon’s TOS here and am basically reselling the CD instead of merely swiping the image I wanted to use.

By: Hatter

Hatter — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:56:54 +0000

Ok this is one thing I have been thinking about lately. AT&T now sells netbooks with 3g connection, I bet you can add skype and sling onto those and be able to use any of them with little to no problems.

So what’s the how is my iPhone any different? I can kind of understand on letting skype use wifi just so your not using skype instead of your AT&T minutes, I guess. But then why let yahoo, aol, ect add their messenger so you can text you friends without useing text minutes?

I do agree Dave, Apple should just make sure that the apps that come though the app store are not carrying any viruses, ect. And AT&T just needs to become “dumb pipes”.

Also on a side note to this post. I hope you got permission from Metallica to use the cd cover, I would hate to see you feeling the wrath of Lars Ulrich .

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:29:38 +0000

It’s funny how AT&T says they didn’t tell Apple to reject the GV app. Of course they didn’t have to tell them since it is in AT&T’s contract with Apple. Reading those responses reeks of BS statements. If Apple and AT&T were honest, I doubt the FCC could do anything. It seems their responses are just asking for more FCC criticism though.

By: John G

John G — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:15:24 +0000

The good news is that this is churning up a lot of turmoil towards a company like Apple that is very sensitive about its public image. For years the carriers have been restricting features as simple as BlueTooth on the sets they sell and limiting purchasing ring tones from their web site only,etc, etc. Public outcry never made a dent in their thick hides. But Apple likes to look shiny!

So maybe the airwaves will begin to finally open up for many new features previously capped by AT&T with the help of Apple and their other international carriers/partners making them available.

By: Todd Barnard

Todd Barnard — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:05:41 +0000

“…The app that triggered this investigation isn’t even a bandwidth hog and doesn’t provide VoIP connectivity.”

Correction: The *blog post* that triggered this investigation is here ( Note the posting date! )

http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2009-07/the-intimated-threat-of-google-voice-for-android/

By: Dave Zatz

Dave Zatz — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:12:47 +0000

There's a second issue here as well... why is Apple a gatekeeper for software I want to load on my device? They say the iPhone runs the same OS X on my laptop. Yet I don't have to buy apps solely from Apple for my Macbook. Nor do they get to approve what I choose to run. As Harry McCracken asks, I too wonder whose iPhone is it? Maybe these guys have forgotten how the EU and DOJ worked to separate IE from the OS to enable competition.