Could turn into a “common carrier” issue: if AT&T is supposed to carry ANY phone conversation without regard to content, and “content” now includes data from user-chosen applications, does AT&T have any right to decide which applications may use their network? and does that right extrapolate to their partner who makes the hardware and tightly regulates the application market?
I’m thinking a creative lawyer should be able to smack down App Store restrictions: the only suppressed apps should be ones that demonstrably & technically harm the network. So long as Apple & AT&T have such a tight relationship (as to allow the latter to dictate app acceptance parameters to the former), ipso facto AT&T has no right to tell Apple to refuse apps (say, Google Voice), and so long as Apple rides the “common carrier” bandwagon they have no business limiting apps discernible only by nuanced content (vs. abusive network behavior).
I'm inclined to agree with your assessment.
Could turn into a “common carrier” issue: if AT&T is supposed to carry ANY phone conversation without regard to content, and “content” now includes data from user-chosen applications, does AT&T have any right to decide which applications may use their network? and does that right extrapolate to their partner who makes the hardware and tightly regulates the application market?This could be fought, too, on AT&T's side by requiring regression compatibility testing (and charging developers for same) for 'foreign' apps.
And, I don't blame them. It is after all AT&T's * network infrastructure, backhaul facilities and switching systems.
*Or leased