After Google released its new Hangouts service at Google I/O last week, users on the AT&T wireless network noticed a bit of a problem, according to ArsTechica.com. They were not able to use the new video chat feature over the cellular network. This is in contrast to the iOS users who were able to use their version of the app on the network.
At the time, AT&T said it differentiates between pre-loaded apps such as—Facetime on iOS devices or Hangouts on Android—and manually-downloaded apps such as Hangouts on iOS or Skype.
Smartphone manufacturers—like Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry—that partner with AT&T are given the option of activating video chatting within their built-in apps.
AT&T released a statement addressing the issue:
For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung, and BlackBerry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps. And by mid-June, we’ll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from those three manufacturers.
Throughout the second half of this year, we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by year end.
Today, all of our customers can use any mobile video chat app that they download from the Internet, such as Skype.
According to TheVerge.com, AT&T is expected to remove the restrictions by the end of 2013.
