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For those that think Tethering shouldn't incur an additional fee....

S

samcraig

macrumors P6
Original poster
Jun 22, 2009
16,786
41,983
USA
There are several posts saying that they think ATT has no right to charge more for tethering because you pay for an unlimited data plan.

Let's make something (obvious to me) very clear

1. You pay for unlimited for the device you have registered with them. One device.

2. If you had two iphones, you'd be paying for 2 unlimited data plans. Two Devices = 2 Data plans

If 1 and 2 are true - you have to accept that allowing tethering is opening up more than your ONE device to their bandwidth for which they have EVERY right to charge additional fees for.

Again - you are paying to access the net on ONE device. Tethering allows other devices in ADDITION to your phone to access their network.

So... can we stop with all the complaining or implying that ATT has no right or it's stupid of them to charge extra?

Look at Disney for example. If I pay for an unlimited 1-day park hopper - that entitles ME to go on all the rides. I can't leave at 2pm and then give my ticket to someone else.

If I go to an all you can eat buffet, that doesn't entitle me to take food home, give their food away to other people in the restaurant or worse, go into the kitchen and help myself to whatever they have

...and no. I don't work for ATT nor do I think they are perfect.
 
While I agree with you that they have the right to charge, that doesn't mean that they have to. I mean, look at Rogers here in Canada, being a company that is known to nickel and dime customers every chance they get, they are offering tethering to iPhone customers free until at least the end of the year as long as they have more than 1GB of Data. I don't see why ATT couldn't do the same thing or something similar.
 
The way i see it is, yes you are using your iPhone to access the network.

But isnt your laptop just like using a monitor? Thats the way i see it anyway. The data is still coming through your phone, your just displaying it bigger.
 
They don't have to charge for texting
or other services...

but ALL cell companies (here in the states at least do)

I have no idea why people think ATT is or should be any different than the other carriers...
 
Another issue is concurrency. If you have 2 iPhones, you can be downloading data on both phones at the same time. Hence you're consuming twice the bandwidth at the same time.

With tethering, only 1 device is downloading data. Because you have paid for 1 concurrent stream of data, does it matter whether that stream goes to your phone or to your computer?
 
Statistics obviously show that tethering increases bandwidth. And that increase is a drain on network resources.

And again - the agreement you make with ATT on the current data plan you enrolled with does not include tethering. It is specific to the device. Same as blackberry. This is not NEWS...
 
samcraig said:
They don't have to charge for texting
or other services...

but ALL cell companies (here in the states at least do)

I have no idea why people think ATT is or should be any different than the other carriers...
Click to expand...

Because they just like to bitch about AT&T. If Verizon had the iPhone, they'd be bitching about Verizon.
 
ksz said:
Another issue is concurrency. If you have 2 iPhones, you can be downloading data on both phones at the same time. Hence you're consuming twice the bandwidth at the same time.

With tethering, only 1 device is downloading data. Because you have paid for 1 concurrent stream of data, does it matter whether that stream goes to your phone or to your computer?
Click to expand...

I would argue that it is a lot easier to eat up bandwidth on a computer than it is a phone, thus they need to be more restrictive on tether caps and make it cost a lot so all the little Johnny 16-year-old aren't downloading their questionable content when the Mr. Bruce Mc-Business-Men are trying to send work files out.

If you charge for a service you weed out the abusers. If McDonalds said all food was free but please don't hog it, there would be people who go there and take a bunch anyway. Thus, they charge money and get rid of those abusers. Horrible example I know, but you see where I am going.
 
you pay x amount for DSL. The one device is connected to the network. You can connect however many devices to it and still you pay the flat rate.
 
Cable companies charge when you want to put their services on another TV

I have unlimited access to my gym - that doesn't mean I can have someone go with my ID. Hey - it's still only ONE person at a time going to the gym.
 
xtrematrix said:
you pay x amount for DSL. The one device is connected to the network. You can connect however many devices to it and still you pay the flat rate.
Click to expand...

Actually.. there are several companies that charge if you are using a router (blocking anything other than the computer that's directly connecting to the modem)

Just sayin
 
samcraig said:
Cable companies charge when you want to put their services on another TV

I have unlimited access to my gym - that doesn't mean I can have someone go with my ID. Hey - it's still only ONE person at a time going to the gym.
Click to expand...

They only charge you for additional boxes (devices). You could take the box off the TV in the living room and move it to the bedroom every time you wanted to watch it in there, but people would rather pay 6.99 for the extra box.
 
If we have TRUE unlimited data for iPhone, then tethering should cost extra. If they actually cap the bandwidth (say at 5GB), then tethering should be free, since it will go against that 5GB cap.
 
uberamd said:
...but you see where I am going.
Click to expand...
You see, now we have to define what we mean by "unlimited." You are arguing that the iPhone data plan says "unlimited" because AT&T knows that only a "limited" amount of data will be transferred over a mobile device. However, with video streaming such as YouTube, ESPN, Hulu (requires Flash), and online movie rentals, even mobile phone users will be raising their data traffic. In fact, higher speed and higher bandwidth wireless networks are coming soon because of anticipated demand.

For as long as the data plan says "unlimited," I think your argument does not work. But I agree with "weeding out the abusers."
 
samcraig said:
Actually.. there are several companies that charge if you are using a router (blocking anything other than the computer that's directly connecting to the modem)

Just sayin
Click to expand...

Well AT&T doesn't. They would charge me if I wanted to use their router, but I purchased my own router and used it instead.

(I have AT&T's DSL for all those who didn't realize)
 
xtrematrix said:
you pay x amount for DSL. The one device is connected to the network. You can connect however many devices to it and still you pay the flat rate.
Click to expand...
Exactly...case in point. Internet connection sharing at home is done all the time. Every person who has a wireless router connected to their single DSL line (or cable) is distributing their "unlimited" data across multiple devices without incurring additional fees.
 
Well it is a soft cap of 5 gigs.

My argument for tethering to be ok to charge for it look at ATT data cards for laptops.

Those plans cost 60 a month for 5gigs g3 access for a laptop.

Connecting the iPhone to a computer with Tethering basicly makes you iPhone function and a laptop card. Why should the data plan be any cheaper with the iphone?

Everyone seems to avoids that question.
 
Your laptop is accessing the AT&T network THROUGH the phone. You are not really connecting a separate device. If you were connecting two devices SEPARATELY, the Disneyland example could work.

Personally I think AT&T should come out with different data plans, all with tethering included. 5GB for cheaper, something in the middle, and unlimited for obviously more expensive. But either way it should be more of a "use the data you purchased however you want" sort of thing...
 
samcraig said:
I have unlimited access to my gym - that doesn't mean I can have someone go with my ID. Hey - it's still only ONE person at a time going to the gym.
Click to expand...
This argument does not work either. Because you paid for the gym membership, you can go there as often as you want, even multiple times in one day. The other person did not pay and is not entitled, but you are.
 
Samcraig... Feel better?

I could care less about tethering, but I will say this - I think they should be able to charge something as your getting a service. I also think most people would be willing to pay $5-10 gladly. Im not sure I agree with doubling the price... Your logic is all screwed up with the 1 vs 2 devices. You cant use a phone tethered to a laptop all at the same time, its always going to be one stream data wise.

Further, the reason "statistics" show that people who tether use more data should be really obvious (at least to ME)... Prior to the iphone (which is yet to officially support tethering) who would spend a couple hours on a 2 inch screen with jacked up formatted web pages? My mom used to have a treo and I can tell you the web on that thing was a joke, or a novelty if you will.

And since the plan is "unlimited" att shouldn't be citing the "costs" of increased bandwidth (btw your starting to sound a lot like the traditional ISP and this whole new fad of pushing metered bandwidth) when everyone already pays for this functionality (unlimited BW).

And really, above all else, I think your creation of this thread is hilarious. You basically opened up a whining session, to whine about whiners... But just like you have the right to create this thread, others have the right to open their own and complain about tethering until their heart is content. The irony is really funny.
 
samcraig said:
Cable companies charge when you want to put their services on another TV

I have unlimited access to my gym - that doesn't mean I can have someone go with my ID. Hey - it's still only ONE person at a time going to the gym.
Click to expand...


This doesnt work either - if it were true I would have to ask, do you let anyone else use your iphone? If you could compare the iphone/data to a gym/working out, the answer would have to be no. Otherwise this is a parallel you cannot draw.
 
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