5:50 PM Big Red has to pay out a paltry $1.25M and stop blocking tethering apps as FCC settles on 4G rules from 2008

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

July 31, 2012

1 Min Read
FCC Dings Verizon on 4G App Blocking

5:50 PM -- Oh, hey! Remember the 4G open access rules attached to the auction of the 700MHz C-band spectrum block from way back in 2008?

The ones that Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) fought so hard to get in place that were supposed to stop the spectrum owner from blocking access to devices and applications on the network?

Well, Verizon Wireless has settled with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the tune of $1.25 million over allegations that it was blocking tethering applications in the Android market.

"This case was the first of its kind in enforcing the pro-consumer open access obligations of the C Block rules," says P. Michele Ellison, the FCC's enforcement bureau chief in a statement. "It underscores the agency’s commitment to guarantee consumers the benefits of an open wireless broadband platform by providing greater consumer choice and fostering innovation."

The wheels of government didn't exactly spin quickly on this one, but Verizon now has to stop blocking any tethering apps that connect other devices to the Internet via a user's smartphone.

Of course, $1.25 million is mere pocket money for a company that just reported a $1.83 billion profit for the second quarter. Still, it's nice to have some loose ends tied up on an issue that users have been complaining about for years now.

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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