FCC's Kevin Martin Worries About Wide-Open Wireless

Skype was dealt a setback Tuesday when Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin said he would recommend that his fellow commissioners dismiss Skype's request to apply the Carterfone principles to the wireless industry.

"In light of the [wireless] industry's embrace of a more open wireless platform, it would be premature to adopt any other requirements across the industry," Martin told a receptive crowd at the annual CTIA Wireless Conference.

"Thus, today I will circulate to my fellow commissioners an order dismissing a petition for declaratory ruling filed by Skype." In February 2007, Skype asked the FCC to apply the Carterfone rules to wireless networks. The Carterfone decision, handed down in 1968, opened up the Bell network to devices not produced by the AT&T wireline network, paving the way for devices like answering machines, fax machines, computer modems, and early dial-up Internet.

Skype argued that the wireless industry has limited subscribers' ability to run certain software communications applications on their mobile phones, and disabled phones and features to thwart competition – all in violation of the Carterfone principles, Skype said.

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