Policy clues surface as FCC hits its stride

The FCC is hitting its stride in regulatory policy terms, primarily relating to the issues of next-gen voice. In one matter, the FCC has already asked Google for specific details on Google Voice, in response to AT&T filing a complaint that the service was really a regulated voice service and was discriminating against open call routing to exchanges with high reciprocal compensation rules.

Now the FCC’s chairman is making it clear that his FCC thinks mobile services are the really hot regulatory issue. Genachowski applauded the AT&T decision to open its mobile network to VoIP services and the Verizon Wireless partnership with Google. He still feels that mobile services aren’t necessarily as competitive as the FCC would like. The knotty issues for mobile are the application of net neutrality and the question of open handsets and handset subsidies.