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RobT

macrumors 6502a
Dec 20, 2007
665
113
Ohio, USA
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. AT&T is just too greedy. This is one occasion where I won't play by the rules. There's no way there should be an additional charge for this on top of the monthly data charge. Good thing MyWi is available.
 

Mistrblank

macrumors regular
Jun 7, 2010
235
0
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. :eek:

You didn't read the contract fine print that actually defined unlimited data as email and web browsing only and in most cases doesn't even allow for video streaming such as through Netflix and even Youtube.

Unlimited has always had restrictions and caps. It was a play on the word unlimited. You signed the contract, you agreed to their definition of "Unlimited".
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
People if you really want to be heard.

I recommend you start protesting on Twitter.

AT&T is on twitter as @att.

Making AT&T Gorge Customers a trending topic, will get more attention then moaning about it here.

This did wonders for me with Comcast.

Use #AT&TGorgesiPhone in your tweet.

Let's see what happens.
I think you mean gouges?

And you can probably drop the iPhone part, as AT&T charges the same fee for all of its smartphones (Android, etc). So they're not gouging the iPhone specifically.

And you can probably drop the AT&T part, as every other major carrier charges a similar additional fee for WiFi/tethering as well.

#Gouge work OK for you?

What Comcast was trying to do was unique to their network. What's happening to the iPhone isn't.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
The amount of data streaming to my 4" device is exactly the same as the amount of data streaming to my 10" device. It's just being displayed on a larger screen.

I do not believe this in the least.

To be clear, I believe YOU. I just believe you are atypical and the opposite of the public at large.

If you're basing your opinion off your usage, I could see how you'd be annoyed. I'm basing my opinion off the fact that the rest of the world is not like you. I believe that free tethering would legitimately cost at&t more money and they would be forced to pass that cost on to me.
 

kuebby

macrumors 68000
Jan 18, 2007
1,582
13
MD
I know we were expecting this but.... BS!!!

I've never JB'd my iPhone before but it looks like now I'm going to (and gonna abuse my data plan, like 4+ GB a month) just to spite AT&T.

I pay for unlimited, I should be able to use it unlimitedly.
 

ardy8888

macrumors newbie
Mar 3, 2011
27
0
Are you prepared for the basic plan to go from $25 to $40?

They based that $25 price on the fact that most people use less than 1 GB of their 2 GB. Turn on tethering and EVERYONE will start using all 2 GB. So, of course, the price will go up.

Me? I prefer to have a cheaper plan available for those who don't need tethering. You'd force everyone to pay for it.

I say 'no thanks' to that idea. Everyone who wants "tethering to be free" is really just asking me to pay more. Screw that, I'm not interested in paying more so you can tether.

You should just pay for the amount of data that you use. Just like with your gas and electric in your home. If your bill is too high one month, you turn the heat down a couple degrees or make sure that lights are off in rooms not in use. I think any service should be priced this way. That way every user can control their own costs completely.
 

Detlev

macrumors 6502a
Sep 16, 2003
509
0
Help me understand this. A tethering plan on an iPhone 4.0 is required for the hotspot feature to work. Correct? That would allow me to tether a new iPad? Correct? Presently I cannot tether an iPad or iPod Touch. Correct? I can tether a computer. This I know.

If I want to purchase a new iPad I have the choice of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G versions with two carriers. If I have tethering and Hotspot functionality, is there a reason the Wi-Fi/3G version would be a better choice than the regular Wi-Fi version?

Thanks for clearing this up for me.
 

Little Endian

macrumors 6502a
Apr 9, 2003
752
200
Honolulu
i will stand firm till the end. I will continue to use MyWi as long as it is feasible. If that means hanging on to my my iphone 4, for another two years or more so be it. I will use my iphone 4 running whatever version of 4.X.X that will support jail-breaking, tethering, and unrestricted 3G access.

If need be I will turn a blind eye to iphone 5 and future updates. I will let AT&t and Verizon break before I do.:mad: To put it simply I will not give At&t or Verizon a single cent more than I am currently paying!! Even with discounts,and Jail-breaking I find the $70 a month bill to be repulsive to get the features I want.

I would pay $100 a month but not for the handicapped ass plans that ATT an Verizon offer. For a single phone and single line of service I would pay more but only if tethering is included, twice as many minutes, and unlimited data. Okay maybe I could settle for a 10Gb Cap, but even that would take a lot of convincing before I deal with more of ATT's dropped call bull8*&t or VZ's second rate data services.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
You should just pay for the amount of data that you use. Just like with your gas and electric in your home. If your bill is too high one month, you turn the heat down a couple degrees or make sure that lights are off in rooms not in use. I think any service should be priced this way. That way every user can control their own costs completely.

That's exactly my point, but we're getting a nice deal right now.

Right now at&t charges the 2 GB people as if they were 1 GB people. They can do this because the vast majority of them are actually using less than 1 GB. So that works out fine for them.

So we're getting 2 GB for the price of 1. Great.

If we were to go to an actual "pay per GB for reals" plan, I'm certain the $25 plan would suddenly be 1 GB and 2 GB would cost more than that. As higher-data users, most of us here enjoy the fact that we use the upper limits of our plans...upper limits that are mostly just silly marketing-speak for the regular public that will never use them. We're getting a deal because they think '2 GB' sound better in their ads, so they say it knowing that most folks will never use it. Lucky us.

Making tethering free is not the problem in and of itself. It's that it would force at&t into charing us for exactly what we use. I don't believe we're paying that right now.
 

whatever

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2001
880
0
South of Boston, MA
I think you mean gouges?

And you can probably drop the iPhone part, as AT&T charges the same fee for all of its smartphones (Android, etc). So they're not gouging the iPhone specifically.

And you can probably drop the AT&T part, as every other major carrier charges a similar additional fee for WiFi/tethering as well.

#Gouge work OK for you?

What Comcast was trying to do was unique to their network. What's happening to the iPhone isn't.
You're right. I should have said gouge.

If you want to be ignored go with just #Gouge.

But if you want people to take notice, you should use popular Buzz words like iPhone and if you want the company that you're complaining about AT&T to take notice then you want to add them too.

I don't care about Android users or other networks. I care only about AT&T and the iPhone.

My issue is that AT&T is making me pick between my unlimited data plan or the ability to have a WiFi Hotspots. I have no issues paying $20 a month for this feature.

Which is why I use #ATTGougesiPhone.
 
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pmz

macrumors 68000
Nov 18, 2009
1,949
0
NJ
AT&T is on crack. These plans are a joke. For crying out loud, at least make it simpler and have just a 6 gig plan for $45, that can be used for any data needs.

Even so, i'm NEVER giving up my unlimited data plan, so MyWi it is and MyWi it will be for a long, long time.
 

Willie5566

macrumors regular
Jun 10, 2010
187
0
I agree. AT&T is just too greedy. This is one occasion where I won't play by the rules. There's no way there should be an additional charge for this on top of the monthly data charge. Good thing MyWi is available.

Are you referring to MiFi on Verizon?

Is there a cost for teathering? Does anyone know how the speed will be? I was debating getting a Mifi through Verizon but teathering looks like it might be a good alternative.
 

pmz

macrumors 68000
Nov 18, 2009
1,949
0
NJ
That's exactly my point, but we're getting a nice deal right now.

Right now at&t charges the 2 GB people as if they were 1 GB people. They can do this because the vast majority of them are actually using less than 1 GB. So that works out fine for them.

So we're getting 2 GB for the price of 1. Great.

If we were to go to an actual "pay per GB for reals" plan, I'm certain the $25 plan would suddenly be 1 GB and 2 GB would cost more than that. As higher-data users, most of us here enjoy the fact that we use the upper limits of our plans...upper limits that are mostly just silly marketing-speak for the regular public that will never use them. We're getting a deal because they think '2 GB' sound better in their ads, so they say it knowing that most folks will never use it. Lucky us.

Making tethering free is not the problem in and of itself. It's that it would force at&t into charing us for exactly what we use. I don't believe we're paying that right now.

According to my usage data, i use over 5 gigs per month, and i barely tether at all. What plan do they offer for me?
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Help me understand this. A tethering plan on an iPhone 4.0 is required for the hotspot feature to work. Correct? That would allow me to tether a new iPad? Correct? Presently I cannot tether an iPad or iPod Touch. Correct? I can tether a computer. This I know.

If I want to purchase a new iPad I have the choice of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G versions with two carriers. If I have tethering and Hotspot functionality, is there a reason the Wi-Fi/3G version would be a better choice than the regular Wi-Fi version?

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

You've got it. You can now tether to an iPad which you couldn't do before.

The advantage to this is that you'd be paying an extra $20 over your regular iPhone bill whereas a dedicated iPad plan costs $25. So you're coming out ahead.

The advantage to a 3G iPad, though, is that you can turn it on and off each month. So if you want to skip a month, you can do that. Your phone bill is locked in.

So if you're gonna use your iPad on 3G every month, just tether with your iPhone. But if you think you'd turn it off and on some months (and sometimes buy the 250 MB plan for other months) then get the 3G iPad.
 

southernpaws

macrumors 6502
Jan 16, 2008
341
0
Help me understand this. A tethering plan on an iPhone 4.0 is required for the hotspot feature to work. Correct? That would allow me to tether a new iPad? Correct? Presently I cannot tether an iPad or iPod Touch. Correct? I can tether a computer. This I know.

If I want to purchase a new iPad I have the choice of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G versions with two carriers. If I have tethering and Hotspot functionality, is there a reason the Wi-Fi/3G version would be a better choice than the regular Wi-Fi version?

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

You have the right idea.

This functionality makes it so I do not have to buy the 3g iteration of the iPad. My wifi version will do just fine now.

There's no reason I can think of that the 3G version would be a better choice unless money is no issue.
 

tempusfugit

macrumors 65816
May 21, 2009
1,112
1
Chicago
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) Mobile/8C148)

Unlimited data + MyWi ftw.
 

canyonblue737

macrumors 68020
Jan 10, 2005
2,141
2,597
If I want to purchase a new iPad I have the choice of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G versions with two carriers. If I have tethering and Hotspot functionality, is there a reason the Wi-Fi/3G version would be a better choice than the regular Wi-Fi version?

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

Only reasons to buy the 3G iPad...

1. Doesn't require the tether, so you don't need the iPhone in the same physical location and you don't deplete the charge on the iPhone as tethering take a lot of power.

2. You don't need to start up the tethering service on the iPhone first which requires going into the Settings app which saves a step.

3. If you have the unlimited grandfathered plan from AT&T you don't need to get rid of it if you get a 3G iPad, the new tethering plan would require you to drop the 2GB iPhone data plan if you don't have it.
 

pmz

macrumors 68000
Nov 18, 2009
1,949
0
NJ
I know we were expecting this but.... BS!!!

I've never JB'd my iPhone before but it looks like now I'm going to (and gonna abuse my data plan, like 4+ GB a month) just to spite AT&T.

I pay for unlimited, I should be able to use it unlimitedly.

Absolutely! Go for it. Nothing wrong with that, as they sold it, you bought it, now you're gonna use it.

if they didnt want people to use the damn thing, they should have passed on the iphone, or never offered an unlimited plan at all. Their fault.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
According to my usage data, i use over 5 gigs per month, and i barely tether at all. What plan do they offer for me?

If you're grandfathered into the $30 unlimited plan then that's what you should stick with. Then either don't tether or use a jailbreak solution to tether. That's general advice, mind you, not what at&t wants you to do. They'd suggest "don't tether" at all.

If you're new to at&t then they don't really want your business all that much, which is why they'd charge you about $55 per month for that, I think. They'd tell you to use more wifi if that's too much.
 

Willie5566

macrumors regular
Jun 10, 2010
187
0
The advantage to a 3G iPad, though, is that you can turn it on and off each month. So if you want to skip a month, you can do that. Your phone bill is locked in.

Can't you just remove teathering if you want to save some $$$? I would think it would be like adding/removing texting or international calling. It's not like he would be canceling his phone service.
 

southernpaws

macrumors 6502
Jan 16, 2008
341
0
You've got it. You can now tether to an iPad which you couldn't do before.

The advantage to this is that you'd be paying an extra $20 over your regular iPhone bill whereas a dedicated iPad plan costs $25. So you're coming out ahead.

The advantage to a 3G iPad, though, is that you can turn it on and off each month. So if you want to skip a month, you can do that. Your phone bill is locked in.

So if you're gonna use your iPad on 3G every month, just tether with your iPhone. But if you think you'd turn it off and on some months (and sometimes buy the 250 MB plan for other months) then get the 3G iPad.

If I'm not mistaken, you can change your plans per month as well. So in theory you could have it some months and then take it off other months.

It's more cumbersome, of course. But realistically, you'll be using it every month anyway. It's just reassuring to know that you aren't committed to it.
 
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