AT&T doesn't like Google Voice invading its service territory. They have sent a letter to the FCC further propounding the dangers of blocking calls to rural areas.
"In fact, Google is blocking calls to, among others, an ambulance
service, church, bank, law firm, automobile dealer, day spa, orchard,
health clinic, tax preparation service, community center, eye doctor,
tribal community college, school, residential consumers, a convent of
Benedictine nuns, and the campaign office of a Member of the U.S. House
of Representatives".
The letter also claims "Rather, Google Voice uses telecommunications (supplied by its
wholesale partner Bandwidth.com) to transmit voice calls between end users and it thus
unquestionably constitutes "interstate and foreign communications by wire or radio" under the
Communications Act, placing it squarely within the Commission's jurisdiction."
In other words, the Google Voice battle continues and AT&T is "Mad as hell and is not going to take it any more." You can read the entire letter here.
Google's attorney Richard Whitt, on Friday reported in a blog that the reason Google blocks calls to those local phone
carriers' numbers due to "exorbitant termination rates" for
calls and that there is a connection to adult sex chat lines and "free" conference
calling centers.