You pay for unlimited data for your DEVICE - not unlimited data in general. ATT and EVERY OTHER provider has every right to up the charge for allowing you to connect OTHER devices to their network.
$30 is what AT&T is currently charging other smartphone for tethering, so, it will be at least that much for iPhone users as well.
Personally, I can live without tethering unless it's only $5 per month.
I have no expectation tethering will be offered at a price I'd pay.
0euros.
And that's is just how much it's here in Finland. All of our carriers allow tethering without any extra costs. Just buy a data plan and you're set.
America+many other country is so much behind us in these mobile network things
Zero dollars and zero sense. I already pay $30 a month for unlimited data. IMHO it shouldnt be allowed to say "ok, you pay $30 a month for "unlimited" internet, now here is a charge of (say) $10 so you can use that data a certain way."
I would only want to tether if *all* of these conditions are met.
*I have my iPhone with me
*I have my laptop with me
*I am not at home
*I am not near free WiFi
*I am within a reliable 3G region
*I need to use laptop software
So how likely are those conditions? For me, not very. So rare,in fact, that paying a regular amount for the service would be nuts.
However, if an emergency came up, I would like to be able to use it. In an emergency it could be suddenly valuable.
So I'd argue that for most people, a monthly fee is not going to be very popular, but paying by the megabyte would be something I'd happily do in an emergency.
C.