The FCC is to probe Apple regarding its refusal to permit Google's Voice mobile app.
Apple has received correspondence from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its refusal to permit an application for its iPhone from search engine giant Google.
The independent US government agency wants to know the details about why Apple rejected the tool, as well as information on other applications it has refused.
At the centre of the debate is the Google Voice mobile app, which gives users the opportunity to send and receive text messages through a single Google Voicephone number and is available as an application for other phones on the market.
Google itself, and Apple's carrier for the iPhone in the US AT&T, have also been contacted by the FCC on the matter.
It is the first time that the company, which was founded by Steve Jobs, has come under such scrutiny from regulators.
David Coursey, a technology analyst, told the Times that Apple was always seen as an industry underdog until now.
"Now Apple has become a dominant force in the market and competitors are showing up in the smartphone space," he explained. "The idea is that someone might say 'let's look at the whole thing' isn't impossible."
