analogous

While most people think the F.C.C. only deals with regulatory issues surrounding radio and TV, it's purview actually covers matters of wire, satellite and cable.

Until now, it hasn't considered direct control of a particular device like handsets.

That could change as they set their sights on the cell phone industry, specifically: Wireless carriers and the exclusive deals they make with handset makers, deals which may be unfairly shutting out competition.

The most noticable of these arrangements being the AT&T and iPhone agreement. Exclusivity plays a role in other cases too: Sprint's exclusive Palm Pre deal and before that, eBay's free Skype service being blacklisted by the major carriers.

Unlike old telephone technology though, the cellular industry is not required to make all it of its phones compatible with one network.

The anti-monopoly thinking at work is simple: Competition between technologies is better for the general market than just having a single provider.

This still leaves the consumer with several problems though. Mainly, wireless providers don't want competition.

To that end, they'll control things like which apps work on their particular phones and which won't, or what type of handset you can get for a particular service.

Or perhaps someone lives in a rural part of the country with limited service? They generally have no choice but to go with the only carrier that covers the area.

It's analogous to the auto industry, where the same features are generally available on most automobiles. If there's something special a customer wants, they just have to pay extra for it.

Wireless customers don't always have that freedom, because it's not a matter of price, rather, availability.

Which points out a larger issue at work. Technology is evolving faster than the government's ability to regulate it, as well as those who profit from it.