AT&T Confirms Personal Hotspot Support Alongside March 11th iOS 4.3 Launch

[MacRumors]

Several weeks ago, we reported that AT&T iPhone customers with access to iOS 4.3 beta versions were finding that the personal hotspot functionality was working with their existing tethering plans, but the carrier had yet to offer any official word on whether it would support the functionality once the software launched to the general public.

Electronista now reports that AT&T has indeed confirmed that it will support personal hotspot functionality on existing tethering plans with the public launch of iOS 4.3 on March 11th. Hotspot functionality will require that users have the $25/month DataPro plan with 2 GB of data plus the $20/month add-on tethering plan that the carrier recently augmented with an additional 2 GB of data capacity.

AT&T on Wednesday night confirmed with Electronista that it would start supporting the Personal Hotspot feature in sync with the launch of iOS 4.3. Subscribers will have the same support as Verizon customers when the update pushes out to the GSM iPhone 4 on March 11. Pricing should stay the same as for basic tethering and will need its new DataPro hotspot/tethering plan, which combines 4GB of total data with connection sharing for $45.

While the personal hotspot functionality is included in iOS 4.3, it does require carriers to specifically support the feature. Given that AT&T has been slow to adopt similar features such as tethering in the past, some customers had been concerned that the carrier would not offer hotspot services at launch.

Verizon is already able to offer hotspot functionality with its version of the iPhone, pricing its plans in a package of unlimited phone data for $29.99 per month with a separate 2 GB bucket of data for hotspot and tethering priced at an additional $20 per month. The carrier is, however, planning to drop its unlimited plan in favor of tiered pricing this summer, although tethering/hotspot add-ons will presumably continue under a similar pricing structure.

Article Link: AT&T Confirms Personal Hotspot Support Alongside March 11th iOS 4.3 Launch

[ghostface147]

4 gigs for 45 bucks plus tethering included? Hmmm. I don't have a need for tethering (handylight if I do), but if it was maybe 8 gigs.....that would be a better deal. Maybe?

[ugahairydawgs]

So they are going to add this for a monthly cost that is the same as the one time cost of purchasing MyWi?

This is going to be a tough decision as to which to use.

[gmanist1000]

I love MyWi

[bigcat318]

I still wish tethering was included for those with unlimited data plans. It is not worth having for the handful of times I would use it when traveling for work.

[GFLPraxis]

$20 a month to flip a 0 to a 1.

I look forward to seeing what the jailbreaks do.

[darbus69]

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gouging the public they are. wifi everywhere; at home you can surely pay less for unlimited. some needs to break through with an all encompassing value package that will enable me to drop my home internet service, geez.

[ineedamac]

Originally Posted by bigcat318

I still wish tethering was included for those with unlimited data plans. It is not worth having for the handful of times I would use it when traveling for work.

I agree. With unlimited data I should be able to use the data in whatever unlimited way I want. I doubt I'll sign up for tethering. I'd only use it sparingly and since that is the case there is no reason for me to pay $45 per month.

[CalMin]

Originally Posted by bigcat318

I still wish tethering was included for those with unlimited data plans. It is not worth having for the handful of times I would use it when traveling for work.

That's my issue. I could see myself using it every now and then, but most of the time I have wifi access.

I suppose I could turn the feature on an off as needed, but these pricing models really annoy me. I mean I never use the 450 minutes they make me buy each month, and not being able to access tethering with an unlimited plan is just frustration.

Cell phone companies never put the customer first. They are about maximizing revenue. This kills any loyalty and is only bad for them long term IMO.

[dohspc]

AT&T is really trying to get the grandfathered customers off that unlimited data plan. Really lame that we are penalized and not able to take advantage of these new technologies.

[bigcat318]

MyWi looks nice, but Im one of those people that would rather not jailbreak my phone. With my luck Id brick the damn thing no matter how easy it is.

[codymac]

For $45 I can get unlimited from Clear.

[kurosov]

As my 3gs contract isn't up until around the iphone 5 release it is somewhat disappointing to see this feature set as iphone 4 only.

But at the current price o2 charge for the tethering plan it is cheaper to get a myfi on Three with access to 5Gb data that doesn't drain my phone battery.

I'll only use it for light browsing and reading news etc in the morning at coffee shops and maybe the odd email in a location without wifi though so i may just go the jailbreak route.

Just a shame i can't use the o2 access to BT Openzone i got with my iphone contract on my iPad.

[scott911]

freak'n expensive!

[mr_matalino]

Never thought about jailbreaking my iphone until now. This has got to be almost pure profit for these providers. Unlimited data should be unlimited.

[macnews]

AT&T please compete on data. Make the hotspot part of the data service and pool data usage. No need to change prices. Do this and you will get more money from me and many others I'm sure.

[Pigumon]

You've convinced me to Jailbreak.

I pay $20 extra for 2GB, you won't let me use it as a I want.

Screw you.

[geerlingguy]

Originally Posted by codymac

For $45 I can get unlimited from Clear.

Ditto. Plus, 6-8 Mbps down.

[JPark]

Originally Posted by GFLPraxis

$20 a month to flip a 0 to a 1.

I look forward to seeing what the jailbreaks do.

Yup, tethering plans are an even bigger scam than text messaging plans.

[crees!]

Originally Posted by darbus69

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

gouging the public they are. wifi everywhere; at home you can surely pay less for unlimited. some needs to break through with an all encompassing value package that will enable me to drop my home internet service, geez.

Gouging the public is right. If I have on AT&T the lowest data plan and I go over my data limit on my phone I will get charged an overage fee. I should be allowed to use the personal hotspot function without paying extra; and if an iPad or whatever pushes me over my limit then I should be charged for going over the limit. None of this, well if you want to tether or personal hotspot you need to purchase this as well as this and be billed monthly for it. That's hogwash from a consumer perspective.

[marksman]

It is amazing that majority of people still don't understand for things like this that pricing is based on what people will actually use and not what is available.

With hotspot usage, the average user will use significantly more bandwidth, thus AT&T's costs will go up significantly. Thus they charge more money for it. It is pretty simple, but this concept has befuddled most people here forever and I am not sure why.

[grmatt]

This is the lone reason my phone is jailbroken. Pricing for this is ridiculous. Also, I'm still on the unlimited plan and don't want to give it up for this "feature."

[LagunaSol]

Tethering fees should be criminal. Should the water company charge me extra for every faucet I have in my house? Should the power company charge me for every outlet?

If I'm sitting at the airport and I'd rather view the data I'm paying for on a 10" screen instead of a 4" screen, why should I have to pay extra for that?

Rubbish.

[iScott428]

2gb?!?!!?

That will get me absolutely no where. I would not even be able to stream a single HD movie on my iPad, with my iPhone as a hotspot. Lets try oh I dont know 20gb to start!

[Michael CM1]

Originally Posted by marksman

It is amazing that majority of people still don't understand for things like this that pricing is based on what people will actually use and not what is available.

With hotspot usage, the average user will use significantly more bandwidth, thus AT&T's costs will go up significantly. Thus they charge more money for it. It is pretty simple, but this concept has befuddled most people here forever and I am not sure why.

No, it's more hearing about people in Europe who don't have to pay extra for this or text messages. I could also care less about the "average" user when I just want it for occasionally using an iPad and not paying the $130 extra for a 3G radio in one. I'm nowhere near using my 2GB per month, so why exactly should I pay more for this hotspot than someone who uses up 2GB just on an iPhone plan?