Verizon Wireless got hit with an FCC complaint this morning by an organization called Free Press, over the restrictions placed on Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones. The group claims that Verizon’s rules don’t necessarily jive with the regulatory policies of the Federal Communications Commission when it comes to tethering to Verizon’s speedy 4G LTE network.
More specifically, the complaint claims that Verizon asked Google to block tethering functionality in its Android devices, which is a direct violation of FCC requirements that the carrier not “deny, limit, or restrict” its subscribers’ ability to use whichever devices and applications they choose.
Here’s what Free Press policy counsel Aparna Sridhar had to say on the matter:
Verizon’s conduct is bad for the public and bad for innovation. It also appears to be illegal under the FCC’s rules that govern Verizon’s LTE network. Users pay through the nose for Verizon’s LTE service, and having done so, they should be able to use their connections as they see fit. Instead, Verizon’s approach is to sell you broadband but then put up roadblocks to control your use of it.
[via MobileBurn]