Rogers: Tethering

[ipedro]

I've installed 3.0 and have turned on tethering. I can confirm that it does indeed work.

It initially prompted me to call Rogers, but I pressed cancel and I was allowed into the Tethering menu.

As for prices and limits:

I'm one of the original iPhone3G buyers who got that $30 6GB deal that was offered when protests went up over no "unlimited data".

Customers with those plans and those who have a 1GB data plan initiated before June 09 are grandfathered in and have tethering up to their bandwidth limit without any tethering charge... forever.

If you've started an iPhone data plan in or after June 09, you have tethering for free until the end of this year. You must buy a tethering plan after that.

If you have a data plan under 1GB regardless of when you started it, you must buy a tethering plan.

I've conducted speed tests throughout the day and the average seems to hover between 650K to 700K down & 60K up. That's not too bad for browsing and email but is definitely not good for downloading or uploading large files. The good news is that you're unlikely to ever go over your bandwidth limit for the month with those speeds.

And so, it is with great relief that those of us kicking ourselves for not buying Netshare when it was available can finally rest: our MacBook's will always be connected to the internet without looking for WiFi hotspots.

 

[ipedro]

Update: I tried tethering via USB (previously tested with Bluetooth) and the download speed increased to 1Mbps and upload to 300Kbps.

Also, with USB tethering, the link is automatic. You connect, it goes into tethering mode without any additional steps. With Bluetooth tethering, you go to your Bluetooth icon, find your iPhone in the menu and select "Connect".

 

[cellocello]

I'm one of the original iPhone3G buyers who got that $30 6GB deal that was offered when protests went up over no "unlimited data".

Customers with those plans and those who have a 1GB data plan initiated before June 09 are grandfathered in and have tethering up to their bandwidth limit without any tethering charge... forever.

Wow, really?

That's sweet - where did you hear/read that?

 

[ipedro]

^ Rogers has an iPhone specific department. I called them the same day of the WWDC keynote.

Back then they told me I wouldn't have to pay for tethering, I would just use my allotted 6GB. I found out about the info through forums and confirmed with the same depart. later.

 

[bgalm]

Wow, if this is true about the June 09 business, that would be great.

I signed up for the 6GB/$30 when the phone first launched here in Canada. Ever since then, I've been thinking to myself that I really don't need that much data.

Finally it pays off to know that I stuck with the plan so that I can have tethering "forever"

Now I'm wondering whether or not this will also apply if I upgrade to an Android phone in the near future. *dodge*

 

[ipedro]

From what I understand, it applies to tethering via BlackBerry as well so you could theoretically get a different phone with tethering capability and use it just like your iPhone.