Ars Technica reports that Cingular/AT&T has blocked their customers from calling various ‘free’ calling services, like FuturePhone and PartyLine Connect, in the 712 area code. Cingular representative Mark Siegel said, “We have to pay terminating access for every minute the person is on the line. Typically these companies run them through local exchange companies that charge high access rates, so we end up paying high access charges.”

If Cingular/AT&T is allowed to unilaterally block their customers from calling specific telephone numbers, what will stop them from blocking calls to competing cell carriers or even worse growing VoIP Providers like SunRocket or NuFone?

Update: Alec Saunders pointed out AT&Ts double standard defination of termination, which makes it clear to me that AT&T is clearly threatoned by the advancements in communication technology.

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