Apple, AT&T Deny Blocking Google Voice

Apple says they have not rejected the Google Voice iPhone app, however they are still reviewing the applications inclusion in the iPhone App Store.

Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) submitted letters to Apple, AT&T, and Google asking why the Google Voice iPhone application had been rejected.  More specifically, some of the questions pertained to why Google Voice was rejected and other VoIP applications have been approved already as well as a more broad request of asking what other applications had been rejected and why Apple did not include them in the App Store.

In Apple’s response to the FCC, they deny rejecting the application, just that they are still reviewing it.  AT&T told the FCC they have nothing to do with the application approval process, however, most people aren’t believing that as by some it is being view that ATT&T is blocking the application for fear that it may compete with its own voice services at some point.  Google was asked about its own approval process for software pertaining to the Andriod platform, I assume for comparison.

According to an article on PCWorld, “Kevin Duerr, the chief executive of Durham, N.C.-based Riverturn, the developer of VoiceCentral, said last month that Apple claimed his company’s software duplicated features of the iPhone, the same explanation Apple apparently has given Google.”

Why the application has not been approved and when it may (if ever) get approved are two unknowns, but it is apparrent to most that Apple and/or AT&T seem to be purposely slowing the process.