VoIP: AT&T’s iPhone, Verizon’s Google Voice Option

We recently learned that AT&T would start to allow iPhone users the option of VoIP; the application will run on the AT&T 3G network. This is certainly something that iPhone users have been waiting for, but the network carrier has been hesitant to do it because of the huge demands over the network and the loss of income for AT&T.

Verizon Wireless will also have a VoIP option, but with Google Voice. This follows the recent news that Verizon Wireless striking a deal with Google to offer Android handsets. AT&T has refused to use Google Voice, but Google are not losing sleep as they have now gone with the most popular network carrier.

Cnet sees this latest deal between Verizon and Google aimed at AT&T, Apple and the iPhone. The battle lines have now been drawn; we have the search engine giant and the best network carrier in one corner, while in the other we have one of the worst performing network carrier with the most popular handset.

This new deal could go one of two ways for Verizon, Apple could see the success of the Verizon/Google partnership and allow the carrier to sell the iPhone or Apple could dig its heals in and stick with AT&T for another 2 years.