AT&T Mobility announced the Federal Communications Commission has given it approval to offer Wi-Fi calling to customers on smartphones. This will start with the iPhone 6 and 6s, and I expect it to spread to other devices as well. While I am very happy that AT&T Mobility has been approved to do this for its customers, why the heck did the FCC take so long to approve it? Especially since Sprint and T-Mobile US already do it and didn’t have to go through the same arduous process.
AT&T Mobility customers can now make a call using Wi-Fi. Typically the wireless network is fine more times than not, however there are plenty of times when you get a weak signal – like inside a building or elevator. If simply using Wi-Fi would solve this problem, why not allow every carrier to offer it to customers? It makes perfect sense.
Now, AT&T Mobility has received approval and is entering the space. I’ll bet Verizon Wireless will jump onto the same bandwagon soon, since not being there will be a competitive disadvantage. Typically Verizon Wireless is a latecomer to almost every party.
Wireless is a fast-growing industry
Wireless is one of the healthiest, fastest-growing and most rapidly changing industries. In this world, government regulations simply cannot keep up. The wireless industry time clock spins like a rabbit and the government regulatory time clock spins like a turtle. Things have always been that way.
However, this time the issue is that both Sprint and T-Mobile US were permitted to sell this Wi-Fi connection for some time, before the same approval was given to AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless. Why? I am thankful for Sprint and T-Mobile US, but why the delay for AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless?
This needless delay has caused 70% of American citizens to have problems connecting in certain locations when it could have been averted. That delay by federal regulators hurt users for no good reason.
Why government moves slow
The government does not need to have its hands in every corner of every industry. Wireless innovation should be given free rein. If something doesn’t work, the companies will know it and fix it faster than the government gives them credit for.
The reason this works is simple: If they don’t fix the problem, they will lose customers. No company wants to lose customers. So they act so much more quickly in a free market.
However, when the government steps in, things slow down to a snail’s pace for no reason. It’s not like we actually have anything at risk if the carriers are allowed to simply do this at their discretion. It’s not like we are ingesting a poison that could harm us. This is simply innovation and capitalism.
Companies should be allowed to be more innovative, more quickly to solve industry problems and grow market share. They shouldn’t have to walk slowly over a slow-moving government minefield. So come on government, get off the backs of innovative companies in wireless and every other industry that want to change the world. Don’t keep throwing a heavy blanket over the whole space making everyone run on government time.
Let innovation thrive. That’s how you change the world. Wireless has done a pretty darn good job so far thank you very much.
Editor’s note: RCR Wireless News policy correspondent Jeff Hawn has covered the back-and-forth between AT&T and the FCC. A major issue is the inability of Wi-Fi calling to support the standard teletypewriter requirement, which is a method of allowing for text-based calls to accommodate people with hearing problems. T-Mobile US and Sprint launched the service without TTY functionality, whereas AT&T has developed a Wi-Fi compatible alternative, but asked the FCC to approve the use of that feature prior to a commercial launch. Read more here and here.
