Comments on: AT&T to Google: So You Wanna Be a Phone Company?

By: Enrique Baiz

Enrique Baiz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:48:02 +0000

YES Brett, you are absolutely CORRECT. Google IS the villain in this story. They always want the long end of the stick. They want EVERYTHING free, like content, infrastructure, etc… They are REMORAS that have gotten larger than the sharks, and cry louder too.

By: Brett Glass

Brett Glass — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:54:13 +0000

You obviously don’t know who I am. I’m an independent wireless ISP; in fact, I was the world’s first WISP. The members of the USTA are engaged in anticompetitive tactics designed to put operators like me out of business, and I certainly would never be their “mouthpiece.”

I see no indication that AT&T is “scared” of Google, but applaud their exposure of Google’s hypocrisy. Google is a far greater threat to Internet users than is AT&T.

By: Peter Rad

Peter Rad — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:43:14 +0000

Brett, stop being a mouth piece for the USTA. I don’t quite get the quotes around Net Neutraility but even if Google does donate to Free Press, that isn’t any different than the numerous astroturf groups that AT&T and VZ fund including the USISPA and the USTA.

This is just AT&T deflecting the conversation from the fact that they are scared of Google — and most people just want the telco to be a pipe. Bunch of reasons for that – namely because they don’t understand innovation — or there wouldn’t be a Vonage or a Google Voice.

By: Elle

Elle — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:41:09 +0000

How is it that they cant sort it out. I agree parkite there is a point but cant they make a plan already.
Im sticking with Net10 I get my international calls for 15cents per minute, it simple and there is non of the drama. simplicity is better

By: Parkite

Parkite — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:48:47 +0000

I am definitely not a fan of ATT (or VZ), but they have a point here…….

By: Ralph Doncaster

Ralph Doncaster — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:42:19 +0000

Google already charges for calls to AK(4c) & HI(2c), so they could charge for calls to rural lines.

By: Brett Glass

Brett Glass — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:26:59 +0000

“Network neutrality” crusader Free Press is defending Google because it receives money from Google. (The group claims that it does not accept corporate contributions, but Google has often disguised its contributions to “astroturf” groups as “individual” contributions from its executives and/or by “laundering” the cash through nonprofit foundations.) Just goes to show you what money can buy inside the DC Beltway.

By: Patrick Murphy

Patrick Murphy — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:01:46 +0000

Google’s response should be simple. OK. Thanks for pointing that out. We will stop doing that.

BTW, FCC,we need access to another 100 million phone numbers since number porting with the incumbents is such a PIA.

By: JJ

JJ — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:15:34 +0000

Google as a phone company, it should be great.

By: drvoip

drvoip — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:03:56 +0000

Google’s instant reply to AT&T is much appreciated :)

By: px

px — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:08:10 +0000

We Already Know Neutral Networks Don’t Like Rural Areas.
Perhaps the budget for Google Voice is not be as much as it should be?
Maybe they plan to make AT&T and the Ma’Bell Gang look really stupid later?

CLEC, LEC, National Provider, Certification or not, Google, if it is blocking calls should just stop. I mean what’s the point here? Google is a cash cow. They’re only cutting off their own nose despite their face. Surely whatever “black magic” Google Voice does voicemail/telephony/switching and perhaps even voice recognition, can be replicated at costs not prohibitive to Rural customer networks.

By: karthik reddy

karthik reddy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:08:44 +0000

I thought Level3 was the company that was providing Google with the pool of phone numbers, call-termination services etc; looks like it is actually Bandwidth.com and not Level3.

How about the following lead for a blog post :

Bandwidth.com finds a big VOIP custmer in Google .

By: karthik reddy

karthik reddy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:08:25 +0000

I thought Level3 was the company that was providing Google with the pool of phone numbers, call-termination services etc; looks like it is actually Bandwidth.com and not Level3.

How about the following lead for a blog post :

Bandwidth.com finds a big VOIP customer in Google .