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Tethering is built into Android from Version 2.3 (or even 2.3), no marketplace apps needed. Anyway, I don't understand what Google is supposed to do if carrier

by Tichy 16y ago

Tethering is built into Android from Version 2.3 (or even 2.3), no marketplace apps needed. Anyway, I don't understand what Google is supposed to do if carriers choose to disable it. Maybe customers should be looking into other carriers if they don't like the way their carriers conduct business.

bane 16y ago
Any US carriers with good national coverage you can recommend?
michaelcampbell 16y ago
This is all true, but completely orthogonal to the story.
rst 16y ago
It was there in "stock" 2.2 as well, on the Nexus One --- but disabled in almost all carrier builds. And Google does have some leverage, if they choose to use it, in the Market compatibility requirements --- there are minimum requirements for both hardware and software if you want to get the Market, or Google's other proprietary apps. (Which, say, the Nook Color flunks --- no camera.) It might be a bridge too far for some of the carriers, but from the outside, it's not obvious that they're trying. (And looking for other carriers is not a hugely practical option in an environment where there are basically four, and the one with the most generally consumer-friendly policies, T-mobile, is up for buyout by the one with the least, AT&T, which is the only one to ban sideloading altogether.)
- Tichy 16y ago
  Not sure if access to the market is much of a leverage. I think most players in the mobile game seek to establish their own markets anyway. The phone makers certainly do.
evilduck 16y ago
There are no carriers in the US that don't play these games. Sprint is a little better about not limiting the stuff they label as Unlimited, but they still charge for tethering, have absurd overage fees if you're not on an unlimited plan, and still have Sprint/OEM specific Android builds.
- PetrolMan 16y ago
  I haven't had any charges on T-Mobile as of yet. That being said I've only used the hotspot and tethering a handful of times so I may not have hit some unforeseen limit.
  - sp_ 16y ago
    Tethering on T-Mobile is free. I don't have cable/DSL at home. Rather, I tether through my T-Mobile cell phone exclusively. Word on the street (T-Mobile forums) is that there is a 5 GB soft cap on data. Once you hit it, you are dropped to Edge speeds. Last month I went over 5 GB for the first time (5.5 GB) but speeds were not dropped.
    - wmf 16y ago
      No, it's definitely not free: http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/myTouch-3G-Slide/T-Mobile-cracking-down-on-tethering/td-p/814635 http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/myTouch-3G-Slide/T-Mobile-crac...

by Tichy 16y ago

bane 16y ago

Any US carriers with good national coverage you can recommend?

michaelcampbell 16y ago

This is all true, but completely orthogonal to the story.

rst 16y ago

It was there in "stock" 2.2 as well, on the Nexus One --- but disabled in almost all carrier builds. And Google does have some leverage, if they choose to use it, in the Market compatibility requirements --- there are minimum requirements for both hardware and software if you want to get the Market, or Google's other proprietary apps. (Which, say, the Nook Color flunks --- no camera.) It might be a bridge too far for some of the carriers, but from the outside, it's not obvious that they're trying. (And looking for other carriers is not a hugely practical option in an environment where there are basically four, and the one with the most generally consumer-friendly policies, T-mobile, is up for buyout by the one with the least, AT&T, which is the only one to ban sideloading altogether.)

Tichy 16y ago
Not sure if access to the market is much of a leverage. I think most players in the mobile game seek to establish their own markets anyway. The phone makers certainly do.

evilduck 16y ago

There are no carriers in the US that don't play these games. Sprint is a little better about not limiting the stuff they label as Unlimited, but they still charge for tethering, have absurd overage fees if you're not on an unlimited plan, and still have Sprint/OEM specific Android builds.

PetrolMan 16y ago
I haven't had any charges on T-Mobile as of yet. That being said I've only used the hotspot and tethering a handful of times so I may not have hit some unforeseen limit.
- sp_ 16y ago
  Tethering on T-Mobile is free. I don't have cable/DSL at home. Rather, I tether through my T-Mobile cell phone exclusively. Word on the street (T-Mobile forums) is that there is a 5 GB soft cap on data. Once you hit it, you are dropped to Edge speeds. Last month I went over 5 GB for the first time (5.5 GB) but speeds were not dropped.
  - wmf 16y ago
    No, it's definitely not free: http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/myTouch-3G-Slide/T-Mobile-cracking-down-on-tethering/td-p/814635 http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/myTouch-3G-Slide/T-Mobile-crac...