FCC demands answers from Apple

For all of you going crazy wondering what mysterious standards and processes does Apple employ in choosing the applications they would allow in their App Store, you can start smiling now.

The company’s way of choosing which apps to approve has been a subject of controversy ever since their app store was launched a year ago and has made consumers and developers alike, very curious.

Just last week, one developer got very disappointed because Apple didn’t even bother to explain why his voice app (VoiceCentral) was pulled out after it was approved and on the App Store shelves for four months.

Well, it seems like the guys from U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are even more curious and has written to Apple, AT&T and Google questioning them about this issue.

So, first off: the letter to Apple.

In a letter sent last Friday, the agency asked primarily why Google Voice has been rejected. The FCC also wanted to know which related applications have been rejected along with it, and what role did AT&T (if there was) may have played in the decision.

The FCC digs deeper too. Now they also want to find out what other applications have been rejected and for the company to provide major reasons for rejecting applications. Apple also is to describe the approval process, and say what percentage are turned down.

Google Voice, a VoIP service lets users set up one phone number and like their other phone numbers to it. It can also control which phones to ring depending on the time of the day, etc. There are rumors that AT&T may be behind the rejections because they might have been fearing competition.

AT&T also received a letter from FCC. PCWorld reports that the letter to the company also pretty much covers the same ground. An additional question asks whether there are any devices on AT&T’s network that are allowed to Google Voice or other apps that have been rejected by Apple.

The last of trio, Google, received a different letter. FCC asked about any communications with Apple about Google Voice and for Google to name other apps from Google and what these apps are for. Lastly, FCC wanted to find out about Google’s standards for choosing apps for their own Android mobile platform.

Well, it won’t be long now and we will have the answer very soon because the agency has specifically asked the three companies to have their replies by August 21. Keep posted guys!

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090801/tc_pcworld/fccquestionsappleovergooglevoice