Will AT&T adjust its tethering/hotspot service to compete with Verizon?

[Travisimo]

Right now, I'm completely torn between an iPhone 4 on AT&T or Verizon. I have used both services in my area and AT&T is quite a bit faster. There are less dead zones with Verizon, but AT&T is actually pretty good (not a trouble spot). At any rate, I decided that I could live with the 2GB/mo limit for data on the phone, and if I ever go over, I could just pay the $10 extra for another gig in a particular month.

But the tethering plan on AT&T is practically useless. For $20 more a month, you get the "privilege" to use the same 2GB of data on multiple devices. Whereas on Verizon, you pay $20 more a month to get 2GB solely for the hotspot. So even if they didn't have unlimited for the phone itself (let's say they had a 2GB limit like AT&T), you would still get the additional 2GB for tethering.

I was hoping that the availability of the iPhone on Verizon - along with the unlimited data plan and better hotspot pricing - would force AT&T's hand to make some changes to their plans. However, I guess they are going to stick to their guns, eh?

What do you guys think? When the hotspot becomes available on AT&T, will you get it? I doubt many of you that are grandfathered into unlimited will get it, but what about you guys already on the 2GB plan? Do you think that it will be worth $20 more to use the same 2GB of data for tethering?

 

[TruckdriverSean]

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I think theres a 50/50 chance that AT&T will bow to the competitive pressure of Vz's tethering plan. I too could live well within 2GB/mo but AT&T's tethering "plan" is ridiculous and I like the sure thing that unlimited for $5 extra gives me.

Here's hoping anyway.

 

[aneftp]

To ATT, offering tethering is a nuisance which they figure they won't make much money off anyways.

So they offer a crappy $20 option (that's bogus) because it's inclusive of the original 2GB data plan.

ATT knows only business people who write off expenses will actually sign on to this deal.

ATT's network is so fragile and if they offered a more attractive option, their network would collapse in major metro areas.

Verizon's is a lot "fairer" with the additional 2GB option outside of the "unlimited" plan. But Verizon can't do data/voice at the same time, so that's a huge problem.

US Carriers are just greedy. There's really no reason to not include tethering into a "limited" data plan.

I for one would give up my unlimited data if tethering were all inclusive of a 5GB data plan. But 2GB is way too little/or too expensive at $25. 2GB of data should only cost $15. Keep 5GB for $30 and get rid of unlimited. That's the fairest way.

But ATT and other carriers aren't about fairness. They are about profits.

 

[Applejuiced]

AT&T does offer official tethering and with this update you will be able to use the hotspot feature if you pay the additional tethering fee. Just like Verizon they will obviously not give it away free.
It would be nice but not gonna happen.
Not unless you JB offcourse