FCC responds to complaints over Google Voice

That didn’t take long.

The Federal Communications Commission has responded to criticism over Google’s voice application, requesting information from the search giant about how the product works and, most importantly, details about why it doesn’t connect calls in some rural areas.

The inquiry comes after [receiving a critical letter](/government/article.php/3843096/Lawmakers+Call+for+FCC+Probe+Into+Google+Voice.htm) from a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers who complained that their largely rural constituencies should be able to access the service under FCC rules.

The situation gets complicated because Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) rightly points out that Google Voice is in a different regulatory category than AT&T’s (NYSE: T) phone service, which is subject to common carrier laws that require it to connect all calls, even if they originate from or route to a local carrier that charges steep connection fees.