AT&T: 'Fine Tuning' Still Required Before Offering Internet Tethering Via iPhone

[SpinThis!]

I agree with you on point #1. AT&T should have been building 7.2 3G for the past 2 years and should have it in far more places than it does...or at least basic 3G! I'm just a fan of building with a good forward plan.

Yeh, I agree on forward thinking.... too bad most people don't think like that. It really all comes down to cost...I think people underestimate what cell phone towers actually cost.

It's kinda like when the road construction company comes out and spends 5 years widening 100 miles of the interstate when by the time they finish they need to widen it by 2 more lanes...

Nobody wants their taxes or rate plans to go up; people generally don't care what happens in 5 years, they just want to know why they're paying so much now. Same with at&t... if they said "we're jacking up everybody's rates $10/month so we can provide a great network in 5 years" people would leave. The only way you can realistically build a large scale network that is to do it in stages. That's partially why cell phone carriers have contracts so they have a realistic way of determining what it's going to cost them in the near short-term.

 

[purestchaos]

what are you talking about I allready teather now on non jailbroken phone

Go here, follow directions to website, get it done.

AT&T is allegedly "tolerating it"...

 

[53buick]

This should have happen before VOIP.

+1

 

[cmwade77]

I suspect AT&T will charge around 20 bucks extra a month for tethering. That's a fair price. Verizon charges 15 bucks for a 5 gig cap on all phones that support tethering. They have no unlimited plan for tethering. I couldn't find anything about tethering plans for Sprint or T-Mobile, so if anyone else can, feel free to mention it. I only found mobile broadband cards. I don't understand why some people think that if they have an iPhone (which i use and it doesn't give me issues here in Houston), they should get free tethering. Being jerked around for three years doesn't count as a reason. No other major industry offers free anything if they have been jerking you around for whatever reason. They may give a credit or something of that nature, but nothing permanently free.

What will be the next big complaint after tethering does arrive? Hopefully something besides the typical ATT sucks crowd.

Bottom line is the reason that I would say it should be free would be because the Data Plan is marketed as an "Unlimited Data Plan" which by definition means without limits or limitations, which would mean that tethering would be o.k.

As for T-Mobile, under the rules T-Mobile says that tethering isn't allowed; however, they gladly will assist you in setting up your phone for tethering and will tell you that it is o.k., as long as you don't abuse it (in their words, as long as you don't take the cell tower or network down, or effect anyone else's experience, you are o.k.) Basically, T-Mobile has taken this stance in order to avoid the whole unlimited issue, as stated above and they will even tell you that. In addition, as long as your account is in good standing (usually you have to have had your phone for at least three months) T-Mobile will unlock your phone for you, especially if you are travelling out of the country or something, but generally just by you asking them to.

 

[MacFly123]

I don't see how they could charge this. I'm already paying for unlimited data plan. WTF?

AMEN! We are all thinking the same thing, yet they will charge! AT&T is LAME! The only thing they could do now to make me not pissed about how badly they delay all these features, is offering it free as part of our unlimited data. If they did that WOW, I would actually like them! HINT HINT AT&T!

 

[SpinThis!]

What at&t needs to do is offer their wireless subscribers deals on their other services like internet. Providers are all about bundling services but DSL/uverse is just not competitive with cable internet where I'm at for the same price/speeds. If you have an dsl/internet plan with at&t and a wireless plan, they could easily throw in cell phone tethering. That's a win-win for the consumer—at&t is not getting "robbed" on tethering because you're subscribing to its internet services, and you're getting a deal for bundling multiple services together. It sounds like a no brainer but maybe it's an accounting nightmare...

 

[ghostface147]

AMEN! We are all thinking the same thing, yet they will charge! AT&T is LAME! The only thing they could do now to make me not pissed about how badly they delay all these features, is offering it free as part of our unlimited data. If they did that WOW, I would actually like them! HINT HINT AT&T!

On Verizon's unlimited data plan, they charge 15 bucks extra for tethering and it's not unlimited. 5 gig cap is their policy. Verizon is lame too.

 

[ghostface147]

Bottom line is the reason that I would say it should be free would be because the Data Plan is marketed as an "Unlimited Data Plan" which by definition means without limits or limitations, which would mean that tethering would be o.k.

Fair enough.

 

[MacFly123]

On Verizon's unlimited data plan, they charge 15 bucks extra for tethering and it's not unlimited. 5 gig cap is their policy. Verizon is lame too.

Ya! I realize it is pretty standard in the industry, but that does NOT make it less lame! They should get out a dictionary and look up the word "unlimited". Shouldn't they get in trouble for false advertising? They are like Clinton... "Depends on what your definition of 'IS' is".

 

[Spike Lightfoot]

...the bigger motivation for charging is not to be greedy but to serve as a deterrent...

A deterrent. Against what? People doing something that gives them a tangible benefit? Don't give them what they actually want, just try to convince them not to do it!

Only in the good ol' US of A...

 

[kdarling]

Since most people don't know what 5GB or anything is, the carriers use the term "unlimited". Yes, it's very misleading, but here's one way to think of it:

The idea is that it's like an "all you can eat" buffet for children, which is what smartphones are. That's why it's priced at only $1 a day.

But if you bring in an adult (laptop), then the "all you can eat" (unlimited) plan has to be priced more.

Somebody is sure to try to use their phone as a tether for their whole house, and that's really misusing the idea of "all you can eat", because it's like taking food for everyone in the house, but paying for just one person.

So, just like "all you can eat", which usually has a real limit, "unlimited" doesn't mean taking everyone's portions. Experienced people know not to take every word so literally.

 

[j5045096]

I just blame the person on the other end of the call. "Must be your phone--mine's got 5 bars!"

I've never tried that approach. I always answered the reconnected call with "Sorry I've got that company that says they never drop calls" to which the person on the other line responds: "oh, AT&T?" and then the call drops again.

 

[j5045096]

We know that the network is overloaded in condensed areas. I think we can all agree that tethering won't do anything to decrease the usage of 3G, so in a way, yes, they have some proof. I still feel that they need to present facts about network usage in regards to tethering, specifically.

The user base is constantly growing each day with every new subscriber. It's not as if network usage is at a standstill and AT&T must only accommodate for the current situation. They need to consistently make improvements to the network for this reason, alone. The question that still remains is if the enabling of tethering for iPhone users will push the network beyond what it can handle, given that its demands are growing, anyway.

Zombi, here's what I want from AT&T. I want them to prove, in terms of network usage, that they are not overselling their network, kinda like an airline over selling seats or something like that. There has to be some kind of formula, even if it's a loose theory, on the planning side that helps them figure out how many towers/how much bandwidth to plan for for x amount of users. See I think either they don't know (there is no plan) or they're milking this thing for all it's worth while the cow is full...which it is. That's the nature of a monopoly which is what AT&T has in having the iPhone. I would have never switched to AT&T in a million years except for the phone. My service isn't the worst I've had (that would go to Nextel) but it's not Verizon which I had before. But again I raise the point to all the Verizon lovers who right about now are going "yeah!" that if Verizon had 5 million iPhones running around on their EVDO network it would be running considerably slower too for all the Verizon Super 3G'ers (posers) who want to download the latest Lady Gaga ringtone for their free Korean flip phone.

 

[j5045096]

Yeh, I agree on forward thinking.... too bad most people don't think like that. It really all comes down to cost...I think people underestimate what cell phone towers actually cost.


Nobody wants their taxes or rate plans to go up; people generally don't care what happens in 5 years, they just want to know why they're paying so much now. Same with at&t... if they said "we're jacking up everybody's rates $10/month so we can provide a great network in 5 years" people would leave. The only way you can realistically build a large scale network that is to do it in stages. That's partially why cell phone carriers have contracts so they have a realistic way of determining what it's going to cost them in the near short-term.

I agree and I disagree. I agree that there are costs that we underestimate. I disagree in that I think the cell phone companies have plenty of cash to spare and need to think like other businesses, especially small businesses do. Small businesses start up with the expectation that a profit isn't coming for several years but when it does it's like a snowball. Sometimes you have to invest first to build up a business and attract that influx that creates your profit snowball.

I mean is AT&T even phased by the fact that Verizon is going to have a 4G LTE network up by 2010? I would not be surprised at all if by this time next year Verizon is darn close and by this team in 1.5 years Verizon's got a whole slew of users on 4G...when AT&T is talking 2011. Has AT&T even put up the first 4G equipment yet? That's what I'm getting at. This is the company that somehow lands great phones and yet plays catch up the rest of the way. How they ever landed the iPhone is beyond me; the only thing I can think of is Apple wanted GSM (for world wide selling purposes) and T-Mobile's tiny little following wasn't going to cut it (can anybody say FAIL G1 Android Phone?)

 

[j5045096]

Bottom line is the reason that I would say it should be free would be because the Data Plan is marketed as an "Unlimited Data Plan" which by definition means without limits or limitations, which would mean that tethering would be o.k.

These are the cheapskates I'm talking about. These are the ones who on 7 Eleven day have 513 7 Eleven's mapped out to go and get free slurpees from. These are the ones who make loops around the Costco, eating 1/3 of the supply of every free sample lady's cart and calling it lunch and dinner.

Unlimited data...on your PHONE genius. AT&T sold you a cell phone, not a computer.

 

[Vmaatta]

Pricing and limitations

You hear a lot of people from the U.S. speak for free market and free competition and then the same people can somehow tolerate and even speak for carrier lock in.

I've got the iPhone. And I've got an unlimited full rate data with it. Ok, the network only supports 3.6 Mbps currently but still. And yeah, denying users the use of tethering is not even an option. It's been a standard feature in phones for years . It's not a favor from the carrier to "allow you to use it". Just like denying the users the use of VoIP is not quite an option.. internet use is internet use. There's a fair use clause but I've never heard anyone get the bad end of that... Although AT&T seems to be killing the apps for the rest of the world too.. go figure.

So what's the cost ? 11.89€ per month. The basic plan is 1.99€ and the unlimited data is 9.90€. I didn't take any text package or voice minutes with that. Those cost 0,079 €/min and 0,079 €/text. I use data most of course.

So.. That's the result of having the phone hardware and carrier services separate. Each competing with their own competitors. iPhone is a very unfortunate exception in this rule (being available only on one carrier). But alone it can't change the pricing structure. And you can bet the carrier is not losing money. And also, the network is not crashing for too much data usage even though all the phones in the network are allowed to use it as long as they pay for the use appropriately. Plus those data dongles which have become quite a craze I suppose..

And someone who might be pointing out that I paid the 528€ for the phone.. I suggest calculating what something like $80 * 24 makes.. Neither is cheap but..

 

[Vmaatta]

These are the cheapskates I'm talking about. These are the ones who on 7 Eleven day have 513 7 Eleven's mapped out to go and get free slurpees from. These are the ones who make loops around the Costco, eating 1/3 of the supply of every free sample lady's cart and calling it lunch and dinner.

Unlimited data...on your PHONE genius. AT&T sold you a cell phone, not a computer.

They sold you a phone capable of internet usage. One of the selling points btw. The notion that phone carriers should somehow be allowed to limit your net usage would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous in the long run. Do you think the Chinese internet censure is a good thing ?

 

[j5045096]

I've got the iPhone. And I've got an unlimited full rate data with it. Ok, the network only supports 3.6 Mbps currently but still. And yeah, denying users the use of tethering is not even an option. It's been a standard feature in phones for years . It's not a favor from the carrier to "allow you to use it". Just like denying the users the use of VoIP is not quite an option.. internet use is internet use. There's a fair use clause but I've never heard anyone get the bad end of that... Although AT&T seems to be killing the apps for the rest of the world too.. go figure.

I'm paying the same $100+ a month for my iPhone that you are (actually my company is!) but I think AT&T is fully justified in not having VOIP on it's 3G network. It's called capitalism. If they allow people to get the cheapest minutes plan (say $25 or something) and then use the network to talk for countless hours a month on Skype - that kills business.

Do I think the cell phone companies have had this for a long time coming? YES. Do I think they need to be brought off their high horses? YES. Do I think cell phone service is extremely over priced? YES. But it is their right to protect the one thing that Skype can't provide you with: a network connection. And any shareholder of AT&T would expect them to do no less. I am not a shareholder by the way.

Now, is AT&T ignorant, naive and downright terrible in their planning? Yes. They should have a whole team of people assessing stuff like this and looking a couple years in advance as to what potential complications they might run into (as in, what do we do if people want to use Skype on their iPhones)...they should do this. They should have better terms of service and restrictions but they don't and so their network suffers. It's congested. Verizon, for as much as I hated that blasted red interface on every phone I had from them usually errors 180 degrees the other direction and cripples everything but they seem to do it to protect their network. To their detriment a lot of people left because of this, just like a lot of people who exited TO AT&T will leave when they get the first chance because AT&T is on the other far end of the spectrum. Somewhere in the middle is where they both need to be where they seem to give the consumer some freedom and yet protect their network investment all at the same time. Right now neither one has it figured out.

 

[j5045096]

They sold you a phone capable of internet usage. One of the selling points btw. The notion that phone carriers should somehow be allowed to limit your net usage would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous in the long run. Do you think the Chinese internet censure is a good thing ?

I think internet censorship is a terrible thing but the Chinese censor political stuff so as to protect their image, save face and remind the people the govt. is in charge. This is a terrible comparison.

They sold me a phone capable of internet usage ON THE PHONE. Best browsing experience of any phone is hands down on the iPhone. If they limit my usage on my iPhone yeah I'm going to have a problem. It's a breach of contract IMO. But I believe it's in their rights to say no to allowing me to use my phone to provide my COMPUTER internet.

The things I do on my computer vs. my phone internet wise are way different...MUCH more bandwidth needed for my computer needs than my phone.

 

[Vmaatta]

I think internet censorship is a terrible thing but the Chinese censor political stuff so as to protect their image, save face and remind the people the govt. is in charge. This is a terrible comparison.

They sold me a phone capable of internet usage ON THE PHONE. Best browsing experience of any phone is hands down on the iPhone. If they limit my usage on my iPhone yeah I'm going to have a problem. It's a breach of contract IMO. But I believe it's in their rights to say no to allowing me to use my phone to provide my COMPUTER internet.

The things I do on my computer vs. my phone internet wise are way different...MUCH more bandwidth needed for my computer needs than my phone.

Yeah ok maybe the Chinese censorship is a bit too political an example but I don't see it as all that different. You see.. To me there is no difference in phone internet and computer internet. And that's because there is no difference. The phone has much more power than laptops had not that many years ago and the actual services used are exactly the same. You're not using a different internet on the phone.

When the internet became more popular in the 90's the phone companies became ISPs and started serving the connection to users. At some point they feared losing revenue from the falling numbers of phone contracts (the regular wired ones). Then someone found the banana... "Hey we're still making money because we're the ISP.. why are we fretting about people moving on from an old service".. The tech was dead. The companies are still going strong and now the same companies of course are cell phone operators.

 

[DanimalAK]

Unlimited iPhone Data is a hedged bet

AT&T will sell me 5 GB of data a month when they know it's difficult for me to consume it on my iphone, but won't let me tether to a laptop that would let me suceed in using the entire 5 GB.

The unlimited data plan is a hedged bet, and the exclusion of tethering from that 5 GB reflects this. If everyone used their 5 GB of data monthly, I think the AT&T network would collapse. But AT&T sells you alot of data knowing you will fail to use more than a little.

My analogy is that AT&T gives me a great price on 1,000,000 gallons of water a year explicitly for watering a 10" bonsai tree, but requires me to add an additional water contract if I expect to be able to water my 500 square foot lawn.

 

[Vmaatta]

I'm paying the same $100+ a month for my iPhone that you are (actually my company is!) but I think AT&T is fully justified in not having VOIP on it's 3G network. It's called capitalism. If they allow people to get the cheapest minutes plan (say $25 or something) and then use the network to talk for countless hours a month on Skype - that kills business.

Erm.. 11.89€ (eleven point eighty nine) . That's about $17,55 on current rate.

Anyways.. it's capitalism sure. But I think there's a limit to where capitalism turns greed, or robbery. And over $100 per month is not acceptable to me.. Or even the company I work for.

And I think my other post about ISPs speaks about the VoIP. "Allowing" people to use the internet for VoIP kills a part of their business.. sure. But I don't see them having any right to allow or disallow anything.

 

[kdarling]

Now, is AT&T ignorant, naive and downright terrible in their planning? Yes. They should have a whole team of people assessing stuff like this and looking a couple years in advance as to what potential complications they might run into ...

All the carriers do try to plan ahead. Years ahead. But it's pretty clear that a big leap in USA internet usage wasn't in their plans.

(The leap was unforeseen, because who could predict the iPhone and the consequent extra-strong popularization of consumer smartphones of all types?)

So I think the carriers had well laid out plans, but now have to accelerate them. And unfortunately, plans set to take years cannot suddenly take weeks or months.

In addition, AT&T got sidetracked for a good half year, having to upgrade their old EDGE system for Apple's first iPhone. The whole industry was shaking its head at AT&T wasting time on that instead of building out 3G.

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

And how much do you think AT&T should be charging for this?


I am currently paying them $174+ for two iPhones and another 69.- for DSL at home.... That's close to 3 grand a year. Me & my wife are not even using 1GB of data on the phones together per month and I'm sure so are most users....

So do you think I should pay another $ 700.- a year just to tether once in a while?

Why on earth should it be free? You're "unlimited data" was for use on your iPhone! ...not your laptop when you're out and about or your home or business or who knows where else people will try and milk the network for all it's got.
QUOTE]

 

[SpecOps2087]

What a bunch of whiners...

I might not love ATT but give me a break, for any of you who think Verizon isn't going to do the same thing once they get the iphone is on the crack pipe. Pass it along please