why do you pay extra to use your phone?

[coochiekuta]

when my area first got broadband i remember the cable company trying to outlaw networking. their belief was that we should only connect ONE computer to our high speed connection and for extra machines, we would pay a fee. no part of that made sense to me but at the time i did not have a need to network, thus it didnt effect me. luckily another provider came along and forced the cable company to mend their evil ways. competition is a good thing.

heres the thing tho, its really no different than charging you extra if you connect your tv instead of a computer or your game console or your bluray player or anything else thats not traditionally connected in a home.

this is what they are doing with tethering. they want you to pay to use your own service you are already paying for. its like double dipping but oddly enough people tolerate it.

i jailbroke my phone before they introduced tethering fees but thats not the point. i pay enough "smartphone" fees or whatever they want to call them as is. i do not enjoy being milked nor bent over. surely no one likes being bent over so again, why pay to tether?

 

[PsstGreek]

Well because phone companies want more money. Without them charging for randmom things, then they cannot expand their network. Thus capitalism.

 

[jav6454]

Well because phone companies want more money. Without them charging for randmom things, then they cannot expand their network. Thus capitalism.

No, it's called the Wireless Spectrum is not infinite. In other words we can run out of it. With that in mind carriers need to take into consideration the little spectrum they have and try to maximize it's use.

Remember, carriers are here originally to sell you voice services. Hence why voice takes priority over any other traffic at the tower. As such, in order to keep a balance of things and prevent a network meltdown, carriers have to put in premiums; in other words, Tethering fees and caps.

Now I don't agree on a wired broad band line. That can most certainly have almost infinite bandwidth.

 

[T-Will]

*cough*Jailbreak+MyWi*cough*

 

[Drag'nGT]

If I lived somewhere that tried to make a wireless home network illegal I'd do one very important thing.

Move.



In all seriousness though. That's crazy.

 

[gravytrain84]

I don't know one person who pays for tethering, to hell with ATT charging $20 for it..

 

[PsstGreek]

I don't know one person who pays for tethering, to hell with ATT charging $20 for it..

T-Mobile is going to charging $15 for it, I believe.

 

[coochiekuta]

T-Mobile is going to charging $15 for it, I believe.

dont doubt it. once one company starts doing it and its customers tolerate it, then others think "why not".

 

[yourwiseguy]

No, it's called the Wireless Spectrum is not infinite. In other words we can run out of it. With that in mind carriers need to take into consideration the little spectrum they have and try to maximize it's use.

Remember, carriers are here originally to sell you voice services. Hence why voice takes priority over any other traffic at the tower. As such, in order to keep a balance of things and prevent a network meltdown, carriers have to put in premiums; in other words, Tethering fees and caps.

Now I don't agree on a wired broad band line. That can most certainly have almost infinite bandwidth.

If everyone jailbroke their phone and got tethering would it cause a network meltdown? That would be crazy!

 

[nastebu]

when my area first got broadband i remember the cable company trying to outlaw networking.

If I lived somewhere that tried to make a wireless home network illegal I'd do one very important thing.

Move..

There's a difference between "illegal," which is an act that violates the laws of the state and which can send you to jail, and a violation of a contract, which is if you do something counter to an agreement you signed with another party.

A company cannot "outlaw" anything because it cannot create laws. It can't make a wireless network "illegal."

However, when a company sells you a service, it can attach any conditions, requirements, etc. to that service. If you violate the terms they set, they can cut you off, or sue you for damages. And if you don't like the terms they offer, you can find another provider or not buy that service. So a wireless company could require you to wear green pants whenever you used your cell phone, if that were in their interests. Of course, they wouldn't do very well in the market.

On the other hand, we have no legal or moral right to tether our phones, nor unlimited bandwith, etc. So withholding it from us is neither ethically nor legally wrong. It's possibly bad business, but then so is giving away your services for free.

 

[coochiekuta]

There's a difference between "illegal," which is an act that violates the laws of the state and which can send you to jail, and a violation of a contract, which is if you do something counter to an agreement you signed with another party.

A company cannot "outlaw" anything because it cannot create laws. It can't make a wireless network "illegal."

However, when a company sells you a service, it can attach any conditions, requirements, etc. to that service. If you don't like the terms they offer, you can find another provider or not buy that service. So a wireless company could require you to wear green pants whenever you used your cell phone, if that were in their interests. Of course, they wouldn't do very well in the market.

On the other hand, we have no legal or moral right to tether our phones, nor unlimited bandwith, etc. So withholding it from us is neither ethically nor legally wrong. It's possibly bad business, but then so is giving away your services for free.

im sry you took my use of the word illegal too literal. i think it goes without saying that private companies do not make legislation. it was their policy if you wanted to network, you had to go through them. that is what i meant by illegal however i dont remember what the penalties were.

 

[nastebu]

im sry you took my use of the word illegal too literal. i think it goes without saying that private companies do not make legislation. it was their policy if you wanted to network, you had to go through them. that is what i meant by illegal however i dont remember what the penalties were.

It's not just your use of the word incorrectly. It's that you're speaking as if the cable company was depriving you of an essential right rather than leasing services to you. A government can deprive you of rights. A company can just decide not to sell you something.

they want you to pay to use your own service you are already paying for. its like double dipping but oddly enough people tolerate it.

No. It isn't your service. It's their service. And it's not double dipping for the obvious reason that it's perfectly reasonable to charge you more for using more of it. This is like saying that since I paid my electricity bill last month, I can use all I want this month. Since I paid a bill, the electricity is mine now, right?

Obviously not.

 

[gngan]

I used MyWi for tethering and got charged. Becareful.

 

[iPhone Addict]

I used MyWi for tethering and got charged. Becareful.

Nice try, AT&T Customer Service.

 

[coochiekuta]

It's not just your use of the word incorrectly. It's that you're speaking as if the cable company was depriving you of an essential right rather than leasing services to you. A government can deprive you of rights. A company can just decide not to sell you something.




No. It isn't your service. It's their service. And it's not double dipping for the obvious reason that it's perfectly reasonable to charge you more for using more of it. This is like saying that since I paid my electricity bill last month, I can use all I want this month. Since I paid a bill, the electricity is mine now, right?

Obviously not.

its nothing like paying for electricity unless you found someone who has offered unlimited wattage?

i never said the cable company deprived anyone of any rights. if thats what you read from the post thats fine but its not what was written.

people have paid for unlimited data...thus the of data they use is irrelevant. it doesnt matter if they are connected with their nintendo ds, or just on their phone. customers didnt sign a plan that read "unlimited data only if using your iphone and if you use your plan to connect anything else, pay us 20 extra a month." the iphone naturally can tether. they are not providing any extra service. they are not charging you for the extra data(which there is no such thing as extra data usage under an unlimited plan) you may *potentially* use. YOUR phone does the work not them. again, this fee is not for a service they provide. i used to tether my blackberry, again a feature of the blackberry not of the carrier.

anyway, the issue isnt being deny anything. what if they wanted a cut (on top of what you pay for data) everytime you use anything associated with gps? i suppose you would be cool with that and good for you. others arent so we dont support certain fees.

once again, i dont have a dog in this fight. i dont pay at&t anymore than i have to. im just asking why some folks stand for it. if you like it, great.

 

[nastebu]

customers didnt sign a plan that read "unlimited data only if using your iphone and if you use your plan to connect anything else, pay us 20 extra a month."

Yes the contract you signed does say that. That's why tethering is prohibited. You only paid for unlimited plan for your iphone.

 

[coochiekuta]

Yes the contract you signed does say that. That's why tethering is prohibited. You only paid for unlimited plan for your iphone.

the access point is your phone so you are using the phone.

 

[nastebu]

the access point is your phone so you are using the phone.

According to who? AT&T wrote the contract you signed. You don't get to make up the rules.

 

[gngan]

Nice try, AT&T Customer Service.

I am just saying that they have ways to find out if you are using the data plan on the iPhone or other electronics. If you want to risk paying $100+ for thethering or just $40 fix cost. I learned it the hard way.

 

[Applejuiced]

I am just saying that they have ways to find out if you are using the data plan on the iPhone or other electronics. If you want to risk paying $100+ for thethering or just $40 fix cost. I learned it the hard way.

I call BS on this.
For all these years now noone ever got charged for tethering thru an iphone by AT&T but you did?
How much data did you use while tethering and how much they charged you?

 

[Looon]

I stream netflix movies to my computer with a tethered connection 24/7 with the hopes that whatever ATT tower near me will catch on fire and melt.

 

[bossxii]

I am just saying that they have ways to find out if you are using the data plan on the iPhone or other electronics. If you want to risk paying $100+ for thethering or just $40 fix cost. I learned it the hard way.

You should have purchase a lotto ticket. First time in 2 years on any forum I follow or talking to anyone I know that runs MyWi that has ever been charged. I've used it or some form of JB tethering for over 2 years, streaming a hellva lot of Slingbox and keep it running for 8 hours a day at the office to surf when needed. Not to mention two other co workers hook up when they come in the office and don't want to goto their office vs working up front.

I've never even been so much as warned about data usage on a few months in March (Slingboxing the NCAA tourney) going well over 8 to 10gigs a month.

 

[Looon]

You should have purchase a lotto ticket. First time in 2 years on any forum I follow or talking to anyone I know that runs MyWi that has ever been charged. I've used it or some form of JB tethering for over 2 years, streaming a hellva lot of Slingbox and keep it running for 8 hours a day at the office to surf when needed. Not to mention two other co workers hook up when they come in the office and don't want to goto their office vs working up front.

I've never even been so much as warned about data usage on a few months in March (Slingboxing the NCAA tourney) going well over 8 to 10gigs a month.

nice dude
fight the power!

 

[gngan]

I call BS on this.
For all these years now noone ever got charged for tethering thru an iphone by AT&T but you did?
How much data did you use while tethering and how much they charged you?

I never said i use AT&T nor i live in US. However, i am just pointing out that telecom companies can/will know that you tether. I am just giving out information to others to be cautious. Pay $100+ bills or just $40 fixed cost. So don't call it a BS because i am paying the bill; not you.

The carrier that i used do not have tether fee in the beginning and i wasn't charge for thethering. My carrier then introduce thethering (around $10USD per month) and they charged me for using thethering.

 

[Applejuiced]

I never said i use AT&T nor i live in US. However, i am just pointing out that telecom companies can/will know that you tether. I am just giving out information to others to be cautious. Pay $100+ bills or just $40 fixed cost. So don't call it a BS because i am paying the bill; not you.

The carrier that i used do not have tether fee in the beginning and i wasn't charge for thethering. My carrier then introduce thethering (around $10USD per month) and they charged me for using thethering.

That makes sense then.
We're talking about AT&T in this thread, just because you got charged in another country and carrier does not mean US customers will also.