“Apple and AT&T Friday are expected to tell the Federal Communications Commission why Google’s free voice application, called Google Voice, is banned from the Apple iPhone. Google is also filing comments,” Leslie Cauley reports for USA Today. “But Google (GOOG) may soon find itself on the hot seat as well, telecom and public policy analysts say.”

“Why: Consumers who use Android, the Google-developed operating system for wireless devices, can’t use Skype, a leading Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. A pioneer in free Internet calling, Skype allows you to talk as long as you want without draining cellphone minutes,” Cauley reports. “Android users get Skype Lite, a watered-down version of the original that routes calls over traditional phone networks — not the Internet. As a result, long-distance calls are still cheap or free, but cellphone minutes are gobbled up every time a Skype Lite call is made.”

Cauley reports, “In a statement prepared for USA Today, Google acknowledged that it ‘has the ability to filter,’ or block, VoIP. The search giant said it does that ‘at the request’” of individual operators. Right now, there are just two Android devices in the USA: the G1 and MyTouch, both sold by T-Mobile.”

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Jack F." for the heads up.]