Published in Mobiles

Google gets allly in EU antitrust case

by on07 February 2017


BT intervenes 

While most people are looking the other way while the EU takes Google to the cleaners in its antitrust case, BT is defending the search engine outfit.

BT has sent a letter defending Google's ownership of Android and the promotion of its own apps and services. It is not exactly clear what the telco exactly said.

BT apparently said that it does not really see much of a problem. It is free to pre-install its own or third party apps on devices alongside preloaded Google apps. It also said that, as an app provider, it valued the ongoing stability and compatibility of operating systems, whether they are 'open source' or 'closed source' and it welcomed Google’s anti-fragmentation initiatives such as Google's.

Google is charged with forcing YouTube, Google Drive, Play Music, and more - on phone manufacturers that wish to use some version of Android.

Its "Anti-Fragmentation Agreement" insists on the use of the rest of the company's software.

The Commission feels that is an abuse of the company's market position, because it doesn't allow manufacturers to freely choose which software comes with their devices.

BT has very little to gain from siding with Google other than propping up the status quo, which so far has delivered a large, varied portfolio of Android phones. But few companies have managed to fork Android successfully and no single company can manipulate BT into acting in ways that it doesn't like.

As BT notes, it can still pre-install its own software which can sit alongside Google's selection and this is no big deal.

Last modified on 07 February 2017
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