My favorite site TechCrunch just posted three letters from the FCC to Apple, AT&T and Google over Apple’s banning of Google Voice application from the app store and iPhone. There’s actually been quite a few stories covering the Google Voice rejection and over 30 news reports in the last hour about the FCC involvement. I think it’s funny that Google can play the poor underdog here.

Admittedly I am a big fan of Apple and own a number of their products, including the iPhone 3GS. So it’s very hard for me to say this but maybe Apple, that once shinning example of simple kicking ass by making better products by thinking through the entire user experience with, of and around products, has gone rotten (see my earlier post Rotten Apple here). How could that be? Is this simply an overzealous executive that made an unnecessary decision trying to prevent their “competitor” Google from gaining momentum with Google Voice? Does Apple have their own Google Voice app in the works? Regardless, I really don’t appreciate companies trying to control me or think they “own” me where they limit my access to products and services I choose to use. Whether it’s music, movies or apps, controlling marketshare by controlling distribution has got to end.

At anyrate, I had posted a comment on TechCrunch and I thought I would share it here as well. Here it is:

It will be interesting to see how the govt handles it. As much as I’m sure people would like to believe Michael Arrington initiated this FCC action, and no doubt he has tremendous influence, I suspect it was more likely from AT&T lobbyists being called to action because AT&T was getting tired of taking the consumer heat for an Apple decision. As I’ve said before, banning GV was 100% an Apple move. They have ALL the leverage with AT&T, not the other way around. Heck, if AT&T tried to tell Apple to do anything I’m sure Apple with laugh and tell them to go f&%k themselves.

What do you think?