[Posted by Neil Strother]

The FCC is launching a wide-ranging investigation of the wireless industry. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wants to "look more broadly at all of the elements that affect the mobile marketplace."

Included in the sweeping study will be mobile application developers, software makers and mobile content providers, many of whom have an advertising component as part of their business models.

Marketers need to keep an eye on this probe. It could lead to some significant changes for carriers, and by extension how advertising fits in with mobile applications and mobile Internet services. With a probe this open, it's hard to tell how far it will go, and what new regulatory changes might be imposed. But one thing seems certain with this more hands-on commission: the landscape is about to shift.

What's your take? How will the FCC probe impact the mobile landscape and mobile marketers? Post a comment below.