5 ms·

"Official" IPhone tethering from AT&T at $55/month

11 points by osipov 17y ago

tptacek 17y ago
What does "unofficial" iPhone tethering, a la the one-click carrier file change at TechCrunch, cost? Whatever they want it to. I'd be careful.
- PStamatiou 17y ago
  that and it killed visual voicemail for me
byteCoder 17y ago
If this is true, my hope is that Apple takes this lack of good faith from AT&T as a good reason to not renew exclusivity after the contract ends sometime next year (2010). Of course, it's also very likely that Apple and AT&T are playing US iPhone users as pawns in their negotiations. I personally witnessed Scott Forstall clearly playing the audience to boo AT&T at WWDC.
- gamache 17y ago
  I can't imagine any other reaction at WWDC, considering that several very shiny new features were available basically everywhere but the US thanks to Ma Bell.
- Derrek 17y ago
  I really, really hope that the iPhone "officially" opens to other US carriers after the exclusive contract ends.
Oompa 17y ago
Fuck AT&T.
- dkokelley 17y ago
  I normally wouldn't upvote a comment like this, but I think it concisely illustrates what everyone who reads this submission must feel. Why can't AT&T et all get it? I would gladly pay on a per GB basis if it was offered on a comparable rate as the 'unlimited' plans. Those plans usually cap you at 5GB to prevent 'abuse' to the network, so you get 5GB for $40/month-ish, or or $8/GB. Is there anyone who wouldn't be willing to pay for a real unlimited plan where this was the rate? (I'm not sure if any companies are offering such rates. Please let me know if they do.)
  - jamesbritt 17y ago
    "Why can't AT&T et all get it?" They do. They've hooked up with Apple. I don't know a single person who has anything nice to say about AT&T, what with illegal spying, crappy service, poor pricing, and what not. Yet when it comes to the iPhone, everyone's swooning and all sins are forgiven.
    - dkokelley 17y ago
      'et all' refers to the other players in cellular service, so the question restated is "Why can't AT&T and other providers get it?" I do agree with what you say about AT&T's sins being 'forgiven' by offering the iPhone, but that is a function of a market monopoly. I have an iPhone and I use it on AT&T. Coverage is decent in my area including 3G, and I don't mind the price. That said, if Apple offered the phone through multiple carriers then the consumers would be in a better spot because they could choose which carrier to sign with.
      - jamesbritt 17y ago
        ' ... so the question restated is "Why can't AT&T and other providers get it?"' Some do. I'm quite happy with T-mobile. No interference (so far) about the G1 tethering app (Proxoid). Really good customer service. "I do agree with what you say about AT&T's sins being 'forgiven' by offering the iPhone, but that is a function of a market monopoly. " The weird thing is, I don't think I've heard any iPhone users express any misgivings about using AT&T. The interest in the phone is overwhelming. Yet users have a choice: pick a different phone. AT&T has a "phone I really REALLY have the hots for" monopoly, not a smartphone monopoly. People shouldn't support a questionable service provider and then gripe about how they behave just because the available market choices are not quite as they would prefer.
gamache 17y ago
Up until now, I did not have a reason to jailbreak my iPhone. Now I have an excuse to l33t up. Thanks, AT&T!
- silencio 17y ago
  Jailbreak isn't necessary for unofficial tethering. There's iPhone mobile configuration profiles floating around to enable that in 3.x. Of course, you do run the risk of AT&T charging you for tethering without a plan. Sigh, I despise AT&T :(
icey 17y ago
Hmmm. It costs me $175 bucks to break my contract with AT&T. That's basically 3 months of data tethering fees. I guess I may be returning to T-Mobile sooner than I'd originally thought. (Assuming this is true and not total speculation).
- jrockway 17y ago
  T-Mobile's tethering is no cheaper. I want unlimited tethering, but I don't see any US carrier that will provide me with that service. (Sprint will in one city that has "4G", but I don't live there, so ...)
  - icey 17y ago
    They charge for tethering now? It's been a few years since I've had them as my provider, but I was able to tether previously at no additional cost to the $30 data plan I already had. With AT&T, it's a $30 data charge PLUS $55 for tethering "privileges".
  - jamesbritt 17y ago
    I have an unlimited data plan with T-mobile for my G1, and a free teething app. Maybe I've not tried downloading enough, but I'm unaware of any limit. How would T-mobile even know I was tethering?
TJensen 17y ago
So according to http://www.facebook.com/ATT?v=app_7146470109 http://www.facebook.com/ATT?v=app_7146470109, tethering will not be $55 additional per month. I've not seen an official announcement from AT&T (I don't consider appmodo to be "official" and they don't link to anything). Anybody have an official link?
- tlrobinson 17y ago
  The tone doesn't "sound" very official, but isn't this the official AT&T Facebook page?
TrevorJ 17y ago
This is an example of why Ma Bell was broken up in the first place. The monopoly they have on the hardware is clearly being abused by them and the consumer pays the price. I pay this price for phone, data AND Tethering on my Treo with another carrier. The only Reason AT&T can do this is they have the whole market for iphones.
pcc 17y ago
Welcome to Canada ;)
jrockway 17y ago
Is this even unlimited? I have AT&T with a non-iPhone, and they want $40/month for 5G of tethering. Paying the extra $40 removes the "unlimited" limit on non-tethering, too. Needless to say, I tether without paying them extra and will be dropping AT&T very soon.
epall 17y ago
This makes me so glad I have an iPhone 2G on T-Mobile. I have unlimited calls to five people, unlimited weekends, 300 minutes, 400 messages, unlimited data, and unlimited tethering thanks to PDANet. What do I pay? $41/month TOTAL including taxes and fees. Thanks T-Mobile and iPhoneDevTeam!

11 points by osipov 17y ago

What does "unofficial" iPhone tethering, a la the one-click carrier file change at TechCrunch, cost? Whatever they want it to. I'd be careful.

PStamatiou 17y ago
that and it killed visual voicemail for me

byteCoder 17y ago

If this is true, my hope is that Apple takes this lack of good faith from AT&T as a good reason to not renew exclusivity after the contract ends sometime next year (2010). Of course, it's also very likely that Apple and AT&T are playing US iPhone users as pawns in their negotiations. I personally witnessed Scott Forstall clearly playing the audience to boo AT&T at WWDC.

gamache 17y ago
I can't imagine any other reaction at WWDC, considering that several very shiny new features were available basically everywhere but the US thanks to Ma Bell.
Derrek 17y ago
I really, really hope that the iPhone "officially" opens to other US carriers after the exclusive contract ends.

Oompa 17y ago

Fuck AT&T.

dkokelley 17y ago
I normally wouldn't upvote a comment like this, but I think it concisely illustrates what everyone who reads this submission must feel. Why can't AT&T et all get it? I would gladly pay on a per GB basis if it was offered on a comparable rate as the 'unlimited' plans. Those plans usually cap you at 5GB to prevent 'abuse' to the network, so you get 5GB for $40/month-ish, or or $8/GB. Is there anyone who wouldn't be willing to pay for a real unlimited plan where this was the rate? (I'm not sure if any companies are offering such rates. Please let me know if they do.)
- jamesbritt 17y ago
  "Why can't AT&T et all get it?" They do. They've hooked up with Apple. I don't know a single person who has anything nice to say about AT&T, what with illegal spying, crappy service, poor pricing, and what not. Yet when it comes to the iPhone, everyone's swooning and all sins are forgiven.
  - dkokelley 17y ago
    'et all' refers to the other players in cellular service, so the question restated is "Why can't AT&T and other providers get it?" I do agree with what you say about AT&T's sins being 'forgiven' by offering the iPhone, but that is a function of a market monopoly. I have an iPhone and I use it on AT&T. Coverage is decent in my area including 3G, and I don't mind the price. That said, if Apple offered the phone through multiple carriers then the consumers would be in a better spot because they could choose which carrier to sign with.
    - jamesbritt 17y ago
      ' ... so the question restated is "Why can't AT&T and other providers get it?"' Some do. I'm quite happy with T-mobile. No interference (so far) about the G1 tethering app (Proxoid). Really good customer service. "I do agree with what you say about AT&T's sins being 'forgiven' by offering the iPhone, but that is a function of a market monopoly. " The weird thing is, I don't think I've heard any iPhone users express any misgivings about using AT&T. The interest in the phone is overwhelming. Yet users have a choice: pick a different phone. AT&T has a "phone I really REALLY have the hots for" monopoly, not a smartphone monopoly. People shouldn't support a questionable service provider and then gripe about how they behave just because the available market choices are not quite as they would prefer.

gamache 17y ago

Up until now, I did not have a reason to jailbreak my iPhone. Now I have an excuse to l33t up. Thanks, AT&T!

silencio 17y ago
Jailbreak isn't necessary for unofficial tethering. There's iPhone mobile configuration profiles floating around to enable that in 3.x. Of course, you do run the risk of AT&T charging you for tethering without a plan. Sigh, I despise AT&T :(

icey 17y ago

Hmmm. It costs me $175 bucks to break my contract with AT&T. That's basically 3 months of data tethering fees. I guess I may be returning to T-Mobile sooner than I'd originally thought. (Assuming this is true and not total speculation).

jrockway 17y ago
T-Mobile's tethering is no cheaper. I want unlimited tethering, but I don't see any US carrier that will provide me with that service. (Sprint will in one city that has "4G", but I don't live there, so ...)
- icey 17y ago
  They charge for tethering now? It's been a few years since I've had them as my provider, but I was able to tether previously at no additional cost to the $30 data plan I already had. With AT&T, it's a $30 data charge PLUS $55 for tethering "privileges".
- jamesbritt 17y ago
  I have an unlimited data plan with T-mobile for my G1, and a free teething app. Maybe I've not tried downloading enough, but I'm unaware of any limit. How would T-mobile even know I was tethering?

TJensen 17y ago

So according to http://www.facebook.com/ATT?v=app_7146470109 http://www.facebook.com/ATT?v=app_7146470109, tethering will not be $55 additional per month. I've not seen an official announcement from AT&T (I don't consider appmodo to be "official" and they don't link to anything). Anybody have an official link?

tlrobinson 17y ago
The tone doesn't "sound" very official, but isn't this the official AT&T Facebook page?

TrevorJ 17y ago

This is an example of why Ma Bell was broken up in the first place. The monopoly they have on the hardware is clearly being abused by them and the consumer pays the price. I pay this price for phone, data AND Tethering on my Treo with another carrier. The only Reason AT&T can do this is they have the whole market for iphones.

pcc 17y ago

Welcome to Canada ;)

jrockway 17y ago

Is this even unlimited? I have AT&T with a non-iPhone, and they want $40/month for 5G of tethering. Paying the extra $40 removes the "unlimited" limit on non-tethering, too. Needless to say, I tether without paying them extra and will be dropping AT&T very soon.

epall 17y ago

This makes me so glad I have an iPhone 2G on T-Mobile. I have unlimited calls to five people, unlimited weekends, 300 minutes, 400 messages, unlimited data, and unlimited tethering thanks to PDANet. What do I pay? $41/month TOTAL including taxes and fees. Thanks T-Mobile and iPhoneDevTeam!