On Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, 24 of the world's best-known telecom carriers tacitly declared Apple
The group is known as the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) and its members include China Mobile
It's a laudable idea. Google's
But there's more than compatibility at work here; this is also the embattled telecom industry's do-or-die response to Apple's App Store. Carriers know that developers have become the new kingmakers of their world. They also know that AT&T
So, in that respect, the WAC makes sense. Here's what doesn't: AT&T joining the movement. Yeah, that's right. The former Ma Bell is listed among the consortium's founding double dozen.
Et tu, T?
When asked to comment on the company's plans for the consortium, an AT&T representative declined comment beyond what was in Monday's press release. Fair enough, but Apple can't be happy about this -- unless, that is, plans are already underway to have a Verizon or T-Mobile iPhone here in the U.S.
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