Noting that the wireless operators are violating Internet Policy Statement laid down by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the non-partisan advocacy group Free Press has urged the agency to compel wireless operators to allow consumers the Skype accessibility through smartphones, along with enabling their connectivity to tethering applications.

Free Press' open letter - written on Friday by the group's policy director Ben Scott, and its policy counsel Chris Riley - to the FCC acting Chairman, Michael J. Copps, comes in response to reports about Apple's alleged restriction on Skype's VoIP iPhone application, limiting it to Wi-Fi network rather than making it available over all 3G and cellular networks.

The letter said that apparently the wireless service providers are undertaking activities that run contrary to the FCC instructional outline with regard to broadband access to the Internet over wireline services.

Substantiating their complaint, the group drew FCC's attention to a recent USA Today story about an AT&T executive grousing Apple's ability to restrict the Skype iPhone app on the AT&T 3G network; and the inaccessibility of applications on Google's Android Marketplace allowing the tethering of the Google Android phone for all T-Mobile customers.

Scott and Riley said: "Instances like these crop up so routinely in the wireless market that we believe they merit attention from the Commission - the consumer's cop on the beat for protecting access rights."