> Apple put functionality in their phones that blocks an EXISTING Wi-Fi hotspot feature for their customers at the will of the carriers. Where was it pre-exist

> Apple put functionality in their phones that blocks an EXISTING Wi-Fi hotspot feature for their customers at the will of the carriers. Where was it pre-existing? Tethering != WiFi Hotspot. Furthermore, carriers can change their minds. They did because the iPhone is taking up too much of their bandwidth due to its popularity. If your phone is capable of creating a WiFi hotspot without requiring the carrier's permission AND they require you to have specific plans for activating such a feature, then you're basically violating their Terms of Service. If your carrier allows you to run a WiFi hotspot on any plan, then you're on a great carrier and should continue to do business with them. AT&T has the majority of iPhones in the USA, and they're not a great carrier. Thus Apple is going to bend an a few matters, because angry customers getting cut off is not in their interests (and AT&T is quite notorious for doing this - I was suspended once for using a Jailbreak WiFi hotspot in 2008, for example.)