Apple Corp. took a very troubling step this week in rejecting Google’s “Google Voice” software tool, effectively blocking the nifty application from use on Apple’s hugely popular iPhone. Apple’s action points up once again the problem of “handset exclusivity” deals, those ubiquitous agreements by cell phone makers with wireless service providers that chain up consumers.

Why is my car’s hands-free phone shackled to Verizon? I love the built-in, hands-free cell phone in my Saturn Vue, but Saturn did me wrong by making Verizon the only wireless carrier I can use with it. It's time for all such exclusive deals between wireless carriers and cell phone makers to be banned.

In a refreshing move, the Federal Communications Commission has begun looking into cell phone handset exclusivity deals – those ubiquitous agreements between cell phone makers and wireless service providers that chain up consumers.