I refuse to buy an iPhone until this is resolved. It was one of my favorite things about my old 3G phone, and it worked flawlessly.
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Apple and AT&T Discussing Official Tethering Option for iPhone?
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So how much would you guys pay for the tethering option?
I can tell you right now how much I'd pay for it: $0
We are currently paying $30 a month for UNLIMITED data. UNLIMITED has only one definition, so if they intend to not breach the contract of every iphone 3g user, they had better offer it for free.
I can tell you right now how much I'd pay for it: $0
We are currently paying $30 a month for UNLIMITED data. UNLIMITED has only one definition, so if they intend to not breach the contract of every iphone 3g user, they had better offer it for free.
We've gone ahead and fixed your post to reflect the contract you actually signed.
You're welcome!
-AT&T
I am finally at a point where, if Apple kills their contract with AT&T and goes with all available carriers in the U.S., I will probably leave AT&T. I know no company is perfect, but I've been with AT&T since the beginning (Comcast Metrophone -> Cellular One -> Cingular -> AT&T). As AT&T, I don't like them, nor do I like how they feel they can charge whatever since they're the only real way to have an iPhone in the U.S.
I wonder if AT&T realizes they need a contingency plan for when their contract with Apple ends and people leave in droves.
I wonder if AT&T realizes they need a contingency plan for when their contract with Apple ends and people leave in droves.
I was a cellular one customer too-long ago-AT&T started to suck when they bought out Cellular One and we left for T-Mobile (Which I love, other than no 3-G). At this time apparently other people began to hate them too-as they nearly went out of business (huge churn) and were only saved by Cingular.
AT&T works nearly EVERYWHERE I go-so that is good. But their customer service is a NIGHTMARE (don't try to call on Sunday-hope you don't loose your phone then) and their a-la-carte pricing for everything is brutal.
Of course, I just don't see Apple making a CDMA version of this phone-they gave the chance to Verizon who basically flipped them the bird-so I doubt they get a second chance. And Sprint is where AT&T was before the Cingular buy-out-HUGE CHURN and not doing well.
And-since the world is GSM. I dunno-I can't see any changes, even after the "exclusivity period" is over.
Three points here:
1. Netshare isn't actually Tethering, but I guess they are claiming it might be and that is why they removed it from the App Store.
2. If AT&T agrees to place a Tethering Plan in place for the iPhone, then Netshare should be placed back on the App Store along with any competition. But Apple should be sued if Apple Makes it available and it isn't opened up to companies like Netshare who had it in an App first.
3. A lower per month fee (less than $30/mo) with cancellation anytime would be great.
1. Netshare isn't actually Tethering, but I guess they are claiming it might be and that is why they removed it from the App Store.
2. If AT&T agrees to place a Tethering Plan in place for the iPhone, then Netshare should be placed back on the App Store along with any competition. But Apple should be sued if Apple Makes it available and it isn't opened up to companies like Netshare who had it in an App first.
3. A lower per month fee (less than $30/mo) with cancellation anytime would be great.
I read the "gophone" contract and I concluded that tethering is not prohibited. A merged document about the MediaNET service prohibits it when used with other types of service agreements, but not with prepaid plans. But AT&T is probably free to cancel your account for any reason it sees fit as this is a two-sided month to month agreement.
I don't know that specific answer. But if you remove the AT&T-Branded part, the answer is definately yes.
An EXTRA 30 a month to tether a laptop to an existing internet connection? Thats freaking insane.
Yea?! When i read things like this i really kick someone in the nuts. Who comes up with such a stupid idea? Its like i buy a pair of nike shues, and they say:
-Sales person: NO! You are not allowed to run in these, than you have to upgrade them.
-Me: WTF?! They are comfy i like them, id like to try running with them.
-Sales person: NO! You must walk, or we will tie you laces together.
Btw, is it possible to browse the file structure in the iphone, ie could i have an app that downloads complete hompages, "wget" style, or files from ftp servers, and then connect it to my computer to browse the webpage "offline"?
NetShare
I bought NetShare (the second time around I grabbed it!) and it does work.
If I have a signal, I would 99% of the time not need my laptop as I'd have my iPhone. There is NO WAY I'm paying AT&T any more $ than my 2 unlimited plans now! The costs are already crazy!!! This should just be an added feature for the "unlimited" plan!
If I have some ODD occasion that I need to tether, I will. Otherwise, I got it, set it up, tested it (it works!) and I won't use it unless I really need it.
I think AT&T SUCKS. I had Sprint for 10 years before switching over on iPhone day and I get LOADS of dropped calls, and places where I get NO signal. It was soooo much cheaper and a better connection with Sprint!
Although I had to use PALM based phones for years...
I do love the
iPhone though...
I would guess that if this does come to fruition quickly we'll see it in iTunes 8. For now, i'm more than happy with NetShare though
I bought NetShare (the second time around I grabbed it!) and it does work.
If I have a signal, I would 99% of the time not need my laptop as I'd have my iPhone. There is NO WAY I'm paying AT&T any more $ than my 2 unlimited plans now! The costs are already crazy!!! This should just be an added feature for the "unlimited" plan!
If I have some ODD occasion that I need to tether, I will. Otherwise, I got it, set it up, tested it (it works!) and I won't use it unless I really need it.
I think AT&T SUCKS. I had Sprint for 10 years before switching over on iPhone day and I get LOADS of dropped calls, and places where I get NO signal. It was soooo much cheaper and a better connection with Sprint!
Although I had to use PALM based phones for years...
I do love the
iPhone though...Why
Why the hell do they need to charge you SO MUCH MORE? Is a packet not a packet? Why does it matter if its an iphone or a laptop that is accessing the internet over the 3G network? They are just figuring out clever ways to skewer you and take all of your hard-earned money. Damn government... I mean... AT&T... whatever... its the man taking all your money and giving it to his elite friends. Vote Obama.
Why the hell do they need to charge you SO MUCH MORE? Is a packet not a packet? Why does it matter if its an iphone or a laptop that is accessing the internet over the 3G network? They are just figuring out clever ways to skewer you and take all of your hard-earned money. Damn government... I mean... AT&T... whatever... its the man taking all your money and giving it to his elite friends. Vote Obama.
wow i can't afford ANOTHER $30/month why should i pay more if i already have an UNLIMITED data plan???
Nobody knows what tethering for the iPhone would cost. $30/month is the cost for other smart phones, which likely don't have an unlimited plan.
On the other hand, the monthly fee for your "unlimited" plan is calculated under the assumption that you are an average iPhone user, and that an average iPhone user would use much less data than the average computer user. If you were to cancel your broadband connection and use iPhone + tethering instead to download 5 GB Linux distributions then AT&T wouldn't be happy with that.
If Apple provides the application and the phone company has no other cost than the cost of providing the data, I think a fair offer would be: Tethering for free up to say 100MB per month; above that you can purchase tethering for one month at a time at a normal rate (in the UK, I can buy an internet connection on a USB stick for about £20 for 3 GB per month).
Reading this thread makes me laugh. All these people expecting that tethering should be free. You probably think Apple should just give and Macs and the companies should make no money.
Get real. $30/month for tethering is reasonable considering they charge $60 for a data card.
Get real. $30/month for tethering is reasonable considering they charge $60 for a data card.
Oh my gosh, is AT&T trying to charge us for this feature? The price of the monthly plan for the iPhone is high enough, it should be free!
First, i dont own an iPhone, so maby i shouldn't complain but here is my problem.
You pay for a data card, its right inside the iPhone. With unlimited data i can surf and download as much as i like. I can make an app that continuously download a file from a server and then deletes it, and downloads it again.
What i do with the data i downloaded is non of their business (in my opinion).
For me, this is all about capitalizing on something that is fictive, they are not contributing anything for the extra XX$ per month that the consumer would pay.
But i do agree ppl sometimes complain about paying when its called for, i for example payed every piece of software i use.
re: free tethering?
No, but I think the carriers make plenty of money off their customers already, and place far too many limitations on the things they advertise as being "unlimited".
$60 a month for data cards they get away with because those are complete, stand-alone subscriptions. You don't need to have a cellphone or phone number assigned with the carrier to activate a data card with them. Most of their customers for that are businesses, willing to pay whatever they have to pay (within SOME reason) to ensure a sales force has remote access to a centralized database back at the office, or things along those lines.
By contrast, "tethering" is merely redirection of data you're already allowed to receive on your cellphone. If carriers are *really* so concerned that their cell networks can't handle the load - they should quit advertising the data plans as "unlimited"! Make it clear that, for example, the iPhone data plan includes up to (I dunno? 1GB enough for you?) per month at no additional charge. Or better yet, just turn off their data until the next billing cycle if they exceed the monthly usage allotment -- and prompt them to pay an extra fee to buy another X amount of MB to continue.
No, but I think the carriers make plenty of money off their customers already, and place far too many limitations on the things they advertise as being "unlimited".
$60 a month for data cards they get away with because those are complete, stand-alone subscriptions. You don't need to have a cellphone or phone number assigned with the carrier to activate a data card with them. Most of their customers for that are businesses, willing to pay whatever they have to pay (within SOME reason) to ensure a sales force has remote access to a centralized database back at the office, or things along those lines.
By contrast, "tethering" is merely redirection of data you're already allowed to receive on your cellphone. If carriers are *really* so concerned that their cell networks can't handle the load - they should quit advertising the data plans as "unlimited"! Make it clear that, for example, the iPhone data plan includes up to (I dunno? 1GB enough for you?) per month at no additional charge. Or better yet, just turn off their data until the next billing cycle if they exceed the monthly usage allotment -- and prompt them to pay an extra fee to buy another X amount of MB to continue.
For me tethering would be nice to have every once in awhile if I can't get a wifi spot and need to view something on my larger screen compared to my iPhone but it wouldn't be used much and I wouldn't pay $30/month for it.
Maybe something like $5 month would make it worth it for me.
Maybe something like $5 month would make it worth it for me.
I have an unlocked recent Sony Ericsson 3G phone and I've been tethering it to my Mac for the last 5 months. AT&T has no idea and my bill hasn't gone up, and last month I must have used at least 10GB of data.
Go and do with that info what you will.
Go and do with that info what you will.
Um, no I'm already paying the data fee, so no it's not free.
Sure charge me more if I use more than a certain amount, but this is
gouging by monopolies.
contracts
The contract says that they can change it at any time. >>> it only binds you not them
The contract says that they can change it at any time. >>> it only binds you not them
No, it will certainly be $30/mo extra.
Other smartphones also have the $30/mo unlimited data plan that the iPhone has. In addition to this, you can tether for $30/mo in addition. $60/mo total.
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