...but I hate the idea of tethering fee. Data cost is data cost, and even if a PC connection can consume more data (which is a silly concept), it doesn't matter - I'm paying for what I use.
I agree and disagree. First, my analogy would be: the electric company charges me more because I installed another outlet in my house...or my water company charges me more because I installed an additional sink.
But where I see the problem is that you are not using your mobile iPhone 24x7 on the internet. If you tether it, there's no stopping you from now setting up a router and allowing numerous devices to use the connection 24x7. Yes, of course you are still only going to get the same bandwidth in total, but you are allowing your devices to run non-stop (such as uploading 300 pix to Shutterfly or downloading some tunes or FTPing some files or simply surfing).
Folks with iPhones don't surf 24x7 on the carriers' connections. We do some surfing, then do whatever else we have to do. We're on it at most 30 mins at a time (train ride for example).
So again, I agree and disagree with you...and with the carriers. The bandwidth is going to be the same, except that it is split between X devices...but what the carriers are worried about is the 24x7 or very long periods of time (maybe you surf for days on end during a power outtage like our 7-day power outtage in CT a few weeks ago)...the carriers have not created infrastructure to support the non-stop internet connection.
Personally I think the tethering is overrated...sure, I would love to have it in an emergency to check email or pay some online bills...but I'm not going to surf the internet on my computer at 56k dialup speeds. If it were $5/month for some kind of minimal usage (1GB) then sure, I'd add it to my costs for emergency reasons...but $20 is wayyyyy to expensive. Again, my opinion.
