Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AT&T Cracking Down on Unauthorized Tethering
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yes, unless you had the unlimited plan. Unlimited is no longer offered, so once you lose it, you can't get it back.
I dont think that AT&T would frame a contract that you could just get out of by a simple contract violation - it would make the whole concept of an ETF (and the whole contract) kinda moot. Contracts that involve a penalty for a violation are not going to have such a large and obvious loophole.
AT&Ts contracts are aimed to benefit AT&T, the only possible way that you can benefit is going to be when AT&T violates the contract. Not you. Of course AT&T is free to waive the penalty if they wish under a customer service guise, but they are not obligated to do that.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)
I would be suspicious of any carriers claims when they use "unlimited" in their marketing. Too many of them define "unlimited" to mean that they will slow you down to a crawl after a certain amount.
In short, read the contract terms.
Vizin said:
I would be suspicious of any carriers claims when they use "unlimited" in their marketing. Too many of them define "unlimited" to mean that they will slow you down to a crawl after a certain amount.
In short, read the contract terms.
When the Tilt2 came out on AT&T there were many users that were taking the SIM card out of their feature phone and switching into their new smartphone. This was allowing them to transfer their unlimited mobile web plan to their smartphone instead of signing up for a more expensive data plan. AT&T would not allow them to activate insurance on the new phone unless they activates the phone with the SIM that came with it.
I think that this is something similar, although I am sure many will disagree. AT&T no longer offers unlimited data but they do offer tethering. If you want the new feature they want you to switch. They will not be offering tethering to the unlimited plans because they want those plans to go away. People that are JBing their phones and tethering for free are just like others that have tried to get away with stuff before. You can argue that you are paying for unlimited data but the provider disagrees and they can always just decide to eliminate the unlimited data plans all together. My guess is that is what they will do.
I think that this is something similar, although I am sure many will disagree. AT&T no longer offers unlimited data but they do offer tethering. If you want the new feature they want you to switch. They will not be offering tethering to the unlimited plans because they want those plans to go away. People that are JBing their phones and tethering for free are just like others that have tried to get away with stuff before. You can argue that you are paying for unlimited data but the provider disagrees and they can always just decide to eliminate the unlimited data plans all together. My guess is that is what they will do.
That and I doubt that AT&T would like people exploiting an unlimited data plan without restrictions.
I don't think that they can do that necessarily, nor do I think they want to be known for any sort of bait and switch activity unless they can show just cause. Not unless they want to violate their own contract. Contracts are two way streets.
They throttle with "excessive" use. So if you watch a lot of streaming video, you will get throttled. And I've traveled around with my Clear Spot and never got speeds more than 1mbps above a speedtest of the AT&T service in that same area. Most I've seen is 4mbps but generally we are talking between 1 and 2mbps in my area.
145GB this month, warning and still tethering....
AT&T can eat a male private part!
500Gbs this year
You're why carriers no longer offer unlimited data. Thanks.
I agree - it is a grey area. One issue is how do they prove you were tethering? Suspicion alone based on usage alone should not be enough to uphold such as switch, after all there are legitimate ways to use significant amounts of bandwidth as well.
Again, I don't know the answer. It might just be easier for them to terminate a user with no ETF than risk losing a court case (if someone decided to press them).
The only problem is that they don't want customers to abuse the system to get out a contract just so that they get a pricey phone at a subsidized price...
How they do this is beyond me, but I don't see them letting people out of their contracts.
How they do this is beyond me, but I don't see them letting people out of their contracts.
Most people are not under the granfathered unlimited data plans...and should be able to use their FINITE data as they see fit!!!!! Gosh that makes me furious.
I disagree with that. They don't offer unlimited because they want our money by charging us $10 per extra gig you use. But, then again, if they really wanted our money they could charge us something like $50 for unlimited...which would be crazy...but still...
Certainly. However, charging $40 plus + $10 is better than charging $50 for the simple reason it allows them to capture more users and thus more revenue.
Most people don't really care about tethering (or even realize it exists); they want a data plan that is cheap and lets them use the phone for accessing the web. So ATT offers several price points to get the people that will pay $20 (or whatever the current low tier usage cost) but not $40 and the people who will use more data and so pay $40. For the handful that want tethering they offer that as an added cost option. Tiered pricing results in more customers and revenue than one size fits all; especial since many of the $25 users wouldn't pay $50.
It's no different than McD's offering a la carte; value meals and a dollar menu - it's all about getting as much revenue as possible by offering prices that is attractive to different customer groups.
but see I don't get this and maybe its because I'm missing something.
I'm not using anymore data than I would be on the actual phone when I'm tethered. I'm not sharing the data with anyone eles at the same time (i.e. the all you can eat example), its me and only me using the data. So whats the issue? I like having the option to view stuff on a bigger screen, my laptop.
This is why I bought the Nexus One.
Although I'm afraid I might be forced to let go my grand-fathered unlimited data plan in the near future. Does anybody know if adding a line and converting both it and my line into a family plan will kick me out of the grand-fathered unlimited data plan?
bellows manufacturers in india | expansion joints in india | metal bellows in chennai
Although I'm afraid I might be forced to let go my grand-fathered unlimited data plan in the near future. Does anybody know if adding a line and converting both it and my line into a family plan will kick me out of the grand-fathered unlimited data plan?
bellows manufacturers in india | expansion joints in india | metal bellows in chennai
Unless of course you still have an original iPhone. I was able to switch from the 2GB+tethering plan back to an unlimited plan by moving my sim from my 3GS back to my original iPhone and then reactivating it in iTunes. I was able to select my unlimited plan and the phone reactivated.
I then put the sim back in my 3GS and an hour later, got an SMS stating that I had been switched to the unlimited data plan for my 3GS phone. There is always a way back.
But that's just the thing, tethering doesn't give you a faster connection.
If for example where you live (or work for that matter) you get 2Mbps down, then you are still getting that same 2Mbps down when you tether.
Tethering doesn't give you a faster speed and therefore the ability to download shedloads more data, you still get the same speed down and can still only download x amount of data in any given day/month/week.
It's a technicality that AT&T will use in that the contract you signs says "no tethering" but to claim people who tether are causing issues for others is nonsense.
AT&T has a serious bandwidth limitation. They can not support large data users on their 3G network. There plan to fix that is to over build their 4G network.
Anyway, the "unlimited plan" is unlimited bandwidth to your iPhone.
However, I do I have a problem with charging extra for tether in limited plans.
Should be;
200mb $10
2GB $25
5GB $45
tether is free. just pay for what you use.
They could add an unlimited option, but restrict tether.
Anyway, the "unlimited plan" is unlimited bandwidth to your iPhone.
However, I do I have a problem with charging extra for tether in limited plans.
Should be;
200mb $10
2GB $25
5GB $45
tether is free. just pay for what you use.
They could add an unlimited option, but restrict tether.
Then they shouldn't offer unlimited download tariffs.
Agreed, and that's the drum they are entitled to bang.
I agree, they need to update their policies to reflect modern devices, users and uses.
Interesting article on how AT&T are tracking tethering and how to stop them seeing it: http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2...nauthorized-tethering-from-jailbroken-iphones
Still...unless you pay for tethering, your smartphone TOS specifically forbids tethering without a separate plan.
There is not other rationalization that overcomes this TOS restriction which all AT&T customers must accept to get service.
I hate this like the rest...
The contracts are technically legal but at the same time probably the whole exclusivity is against some kind of monopoly law that is rarely enforced. Verizon hasn't affected pricing, so there is really no competition if you want an iPhone. Maybe if it was offered with every carrier. If we had some government regulation and oversight and a national based cell phone tower infrastructure we wouldn't be so far behind other advanced countries and be able to offer the iPhone on all carriers. Also I'd rather pay unsubsidized price and do what I want with it.