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Interesting that tethering is part of the standard plan on Telstra in Australia. What's the reasoning behind the restriction on some carriers? As long as I stay
by robryan 15y ago
Interesting that tethering is part of the standard plan on Telstra in Australia. What's the reasoning behind the restriction on some carriers? As long as I stay within a data cap what does it matter whether it is done on the phone or tethered?
- technomancy 15y agoReasoning? Surely you jest. "We can make more money this way" covers pretty much everything when it comes to telcos.
- tptacek 15y agoWhen considering rates for services, you will often (as is the case here) be better off thinking about it in terms of who pays, not what is paid for. Every fee extracted from tethering users creates money that the carrier can use to improve their general data rate and thus attractiveness in the market. You can be irritated that this nickel-and-dimes you, but what you're dealing with is an allocation decision, not an evil effort to defraud you. AT&T is about as up front about the tethering issue as they reasonably can be; "tethering" is a product option every data customer is presented with when they sign up.
- bmunro 15y agoBecause no carrier in Australia has unlimited data plans.
- Samuel_Michon 15y agoThat's assuming you have a data cap. I have a data plan that's truly unlimited, with no throttling. There isn't even a fair use clause. So understandably, there's no way my telco will allow me to tether with that plan.
- robryan 15y agoYeah, I read it as there is still a data cap, just a surcharge for the ability to use it with tethering. I guess on unlimited they reason that you are unlikely to start using your phone to download gigs of stuff then transfer it to other devices.