SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Google Inc. said Tuesday it will open its potentially disruptive Google Voice technology to the public.
The company had released an early preview of Google Voice, which consolidates existing phone numbers into an Internet-calling service, last year. The Federal Communications Commission sent an inquiry to Google about Google Voice in October, following complaints that Google was selectively blocking calls made over the service.
Large telecommunications companies such as AT&T Inc. have complained that Google Voice should be regulated like a traditional telecom service, while Apple Inc. has not approved use of Google Voice on its iPhone device, which runs on the AT&T network. "We're proud of the progress we've made with Google Voice over the last few years, and we're still just scratching the surface of what's possible," Google said in a statement.