The Department of Justice is reviewing whether the exclusive deals large telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon have with popular phones promotes an anti-competitive market for smaller telecom companies. This includes the exclusive deal AT&T has with the iPhone in the US.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the case is bring brought by lawmakers and uses the Sherman Antitrust Act as its basis, which was used to bring an antitrust suit against Microsoft.
It's no secret that iPhone users have been clamoring to get out from under AT&T. They have been criticised on everything from limiting applications like SlingPlayer to connecting via Wi-Fi only to the delayed availability of tethering and MMS for the iPhone. As for Verizon, it could be a bit of a mixed blessing, since they'd lose exclusive deals but gain the ability to support the iPhone.
And those who dislike AT&T are not the only ones that will benefit from the exclusive deal being nixed by the government. The iPhone makes up a pretty big chunk of the mobile web. No doubt, people flocking to other carriers would actually free up a lot of bandwidth from AT&T's 3G network, thus providing a bonus for those who stay as well as those who go.
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Comments
this is what we need... switch to a different carrier, att is lacking and they know it. but they also know that many will stay just because of the iphone so they do not do much, knowing that they have us like slaves..in order to keep the iphone
It really is up to Apple more that ATT on the direction of the technology. Verizon should have partnered with someone (Microsoft?) to develop an iPhone killer. They haven’t. All Verizon does is cry.
Shockingly, Verizon has just as bad a network as ATT (depending on where you are). Their commercials just make everyone believe they are better. And they’re not.
Iphone i dont care if you go with verizon or sprint as long as you go with one or the other . AT&T $uCK$ in our area. ever since the Iphone came out i've wanted one but the only reason i dont get one is because of AT&T . please hurry !!!!!!!!!!!!!
love the phone, but hate the carrier restrictions BUT:
This looks like government at it's best and most intrusive. Like it or not, Apple and ATT have the right to enter into a business deal. I douubt that Apple is all that happy with ATT right now, and will probably change the deal soon. But when Govt dictates how a product is marketed just because it is successful it is a short step to govt regulation of the availabilty of the product itself, and eventually to features and functionality. Soon, Apple becomes GM. It's easy to say the government should do something about the lousy ATT/Apple deal. Remember, its hard to get the camel out of the tent, once the nose is in.
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