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Internet Tethering for AT&T Customers to Finally Arrive with iPhone OS 4.0?
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The competition finally forcing them to play their hand. I have been saying for months that this needs to happen with the next iPhone launch. Otherwise many people will be jumping ship to sprint and verizon with handsets that feature phone as a hot spot. It's time now let's see how they compete on pricing.
I suspect this may be a sign of more AT&T exclusive dealings, yet it could also mean the jig is up and the iPhone is moving past AT&T only and into greener pastures. The latter would be the best for everyone and not only with this issue.
I suspect this may be a sign of more AT&T exclusive dealings, yet it could also mean the jig is up and the iPhone is moving past AT&T only and into greener pastures. The latter would be the best for everyone and not only with this issue.
I don't want to hi-jack this thread but I do have a question.
I'm traveling overseas from the US to England next month for 8 days. AT&T suggested I get the World Traveller package for $5.99 that lowers the voice rate from $1.29/min to $0.99/min and the Data Global Add-on which starts at $24.99 for 20MB of data.
But, since I'm outside the US can I tether my iphone with my MBP? If so, I may need a lot more than 20MB of data for the time I'm away!
I'm traveling overseas from the US to England next month for 8 days. AT&T suggested I get the World Traveller package for $5.99 that lowers the voice rate from $1.29/min to $0.99/min and the Data Global Add-on which starts at $24.99 for 20MB of data.
But, since I'm outside the US can I tether my iphone with my MBP? If so, I may need a lot more than 20MB of data for the time I'm away!
does this mean I can bluetooth tether a iPad wi-fi onto a Android phone on say Verizon (assuming the phone allows tethering) ? (in otherwords, reusing an Verizon phone data plan) (or does iPad OS prevent this?)
The reverse.
If I have an iPhone on Rogers Canada, with a 6GB monthly limit, and I don't want to pay another $35/month (or $420+ per year) to Rogers, and I just want to piggyback on the 6GB phone plan... it would make more sense (from a money aspect _only_) to wait for competing tablet to come out or tether a netbook to it?
P.
It would be great news for iPad owners, but I fear there will be an up charge. I can't imagine AT&T giving access to tethering for free. When asked why I bought the wifi version, I say without hesitation that I already give AT&T enough money. I have yet to upgrade to 3G for the same reason. I'll be making that jump soon, since my edge iPhone seems to be dragging a bit in it's relative old age.
I do agree that AT&T is in this for the money, but I think a better tiered data plan could work in their advantage, as well. First, sometimes adding features without increased cost to your customers can increase access new customers and retain current ones. Second, I find AT&T data plans to be all or nothing plans. Either pay for use, or unlimited. Nothing in between. This plan seems to take advantage of most of us that are light to medium data users while allowing a small percentage of super users to advantage the system the same cost. Plus, I believe they have oversold their system, so blaming users for using the product you sold and then claiming this is why you must charge them more money for the service you already oversold does nothing for the current users. I do wonder how much money AT&T puts towards expanding bandwidth in existing markets. I worked for a cell company years ago and I can tell you, if you all don't already know, that the contracts are designed to have you either over pay and under utilize or under pay and over utilize. How about a good, fair product for a fair price. Greed is destroying america.
I setup 4.0 B4 on my phone and I had no problem getting to the tethering setting; but then I restored the configuration of my phone so that all my apps were back where they were and everything setup the way I want it. And now the tethering option is gone. No reset fixes the problem.
I agree, I think the carriers will be getting some pressure from Apple to offer more better plans... but not necessary complex plans or tiered plans.
Here's why: Apple doesn't want a household to buy just one iPad... Apple wants you to have many Apple mobile devices, two iPhones and three iPads and a 3G Touch, etc.
The consumer will want a simplified billing and usage model - something like $35/month unlimited + $15 for each additional Apple device plus free access to all wi-fi hotspots (... just saying). It may be costly (as you mentioned above), but it can't be crazy complex where households gets a 'data usage report by device' each month! If it's tiered, it will have to be simple.
It’s really hard to care for the story when I expected this to happen much sooner. Now having an iPhone, and constant wi-fi access wherevery I go, I don’t even want to think about tethering on my iPhone.
The focus on much of the technology is driven by a mindset to be "always connected." I think we are becoming too "bothered" for a lack of a better word with social networks. Back in the early days of Macrumors, when I still didn't have an account and just browsed to read it seemed like the posts were more focused on Apple's innovation. Now more and more are turning to petty scandals that just frankly don't mean much in the end. I'm all for change and technology but sometimes human beings need to take a break from all the surrounding interference.
The focus on much of the technology is driven by a mindset to be "always connected." I think we are becoming too "bothered" for a lack of a better word with social networks. Back in the early days of Macrumors, when I still didn't have an account and just browsed to read it seemed like the posts were more focused on Apple's innovation. Now more and more are turning to petty scandals that just frankly don't mean much in the end. I'm all for change and technology but sometimes human beings need to take a break from all the surrounding interference.
Really liked what you said here. I just deleted my facebook account and couldn't be happier about it. I don't know long it's been since I've actually called up a friend just to have a conversation.
It must suck living without competition....
At the launch of 3.0, only one carrier in Australia offered free tethering. Now four out of the five do. The other one (Optus) charges for it unless you say you want them to unlock your iPhone and switch carrier, when they will offer tethering to you for free.
There has always been a similar message on carriers with tethering as an extra charge. They have added the ability to call the carrier from the dialog box however.
There is no message on carriers with free tethering.
There is no internet tethering option for carriers without tethering.
Bingo.. and I've been running OS 3.0.0 since June of last year .. and happily tethering for $free.99 with no jailbreaks or hacks. Just the Benm.at custom profile install and the inability to upgrade since then.
I've considered upgrading and jailbreaking, but none of the features of the newer ones really trump the greatness that tethering offers me via Apple's slick built in way. Its just too convenient.
Im on 3.1.3 and I'm jailbroken and MyWi does what BenM use to do. It allows for NATIVE tethering in the settings menu and even shows a running bar at the top.
I'm jailbroken, and just use the benm mobileconfig. No reason to even run any jailapps.
Wow, major fail! Sorry to burst YOUR virtual bubble but you don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you said there is no way to tether iPad to iPhone without a jailbreak you would be getting a shiny star...... sense you didn't type that no star for you.
Don't do it folks, you will be greeted with fail! It's called miwi. It CAN tether wifi iPad to iPhone.
Been tethering my i's for a while now and won't be giving att any more of my $$ for their blessings. I will continue to tether rogue.
I completely agree. But it looks like finally something is being done about it. Alas, this is most likely due to the competition from Android-based phones.
What, really, cable companies don't do this??? People don't get charged for each cable box on each TV. I remember getting nickeled and dimed for everything monthly fees for each remote!
You see, here's the thing junior, if it wasn't for routers and home networking, your internet cable bill probably wouldn't be $50/month (roadrunner's standard rate - Hell they even upgraded their service for increased speed...but charge you EXTRA if you want to use it) I wished my Cable internet was only $30/month like my AT&T internet which is almost as fast (in my house I get about 5000kb/s on my 3G iPad).
AND....don't forget that those people who get excellent 3G in their homes may be willing to cancel their home internet and tether their home computer to their iPhone hotspot once AT&T starts tethering. IMAGINE what that will do to AT&T's already heavily used network. They will need $$$ to beef it up, don't you think?
I'd buy an iphone with data only and tethering if possible. Pay full price for the phone, and have a data plan like the ipad. I'd get it as a phone but my neighborhood is a dead zone on ATT. With wifi at home, I'm covered there and the rest of the area the iphone/ipod covers me.
Wonder if they will allow that if there is no mention of verizon?
Wonder if they will allow that if there is no mention of verizon?
I'd rather pay for tethering with unlimited download than having it for free on a 6GB account. 6GB is the highest download we can get with Rogers :/