AT&T attacks google for having a good idea

Being the nerd I am I keep an eye on the tech news and this one caught my eye. Not specifically about technology only so I hope it won't bore you too much. Here is the story.

AT&T is going after Google for their Google Voice service claiming that it violates Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations. The reason for this being that Google Voice does not allow calls to certain regions or numbers with high access or connection fees. AT&T says that under federal telecommunications laws other carriers do not have that option and are required to give access to all numbers. And now to the meet at potatos of AT&T's complaint: "By blocking these calls, Google is able to reduce its access expenses," AT&T said in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission. This isn't the first effort AT&T has taken to block Google. The Google Voice application was blocked by the Apple iStore due to this service competing with the sole carrier of the iPhone, AT&T.

I think this is another example of someone coming up with a good idea and the company that is getting hurt because they didn't think of it is going to cry about it. Is there something wrong with capitalism all of the sudden? I personally feel that Google Voice is not subject to the standing Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations. Google Voice is an application that can be downloaded voluntarily and Google Voice is a free service. If you call AT&T you are charged dearly for it. They are making money to compensate for the high access fees to certain numbers. Google had a good idea and they should benefit from it - though they really aren't because they are not making money from it. If AT&T doesn't like it they should work and create a better product rather than making these borderline accusations trying to get the smart guy in trouble.

I will be curious to see how the FCC responds. With the favoritism of a socialist economy I won't be surprised at either decision.