iphone internet teathering, soon to be free?

TheBigGiantHead · Jan 13, 2011

As most of us know, we can use our iphone 4 as a mobile hot spot for other WiFi devices but you have to pay to activate that service, with Verizon now getting the iphone and them offering teathering for free...i wonder if anyone has heard about AT&T following suit? i would love to be able to use phone phone as a hotspot for other device i just dont want to have to pay for it.

sakumaxp · Jan 13, 2011

actually i asked about this when i ordered my phone from the AT&T store, and they said now that they have capped the data plans they will most likely stay like that, and i asked why did they cap them? he said because people would jailbreak their phones and use them to tether other devices but people around them would loose service to their devices on AT&T network or loose speed, but thats coming from a representative so im not sure whats true and whats not, if they do have unlimited data they should kick out he 200mb and 2gb and just make one data plan

TheBigGiantHead · Jan 14, 2011

Interesting....sounds like AT&T is the culprit here...

Rumor Has It: Personal Hotspot Coming To All IPhones In March - TheStreet

craigfoot · Jan 14, 2011

Don't any of your carriers give you free Internet tethering in the US? My plan Optus Australia I get 2.5GB data usage a month, and Internet tethering is free if I wish to use it.

TheBigGiantHead · Jan 14, 2011

craigfoot said:
Don't any of your carriers give you free Internet tethering in the US? My plan Optus Australia I get 2.5GB data usage a month, and Internet tethering is free if I wish to use it.

Verizon does but AT&T does not. Not sure about Sprint or any of the other carriers.

skweekymagee · Jan 14, 2011

My fiance has the Evo 4G on Sprint and tethering is an additional charge. I can tether to her phone but get no internet access. That being the case, I wonder if just b/c iOS 4.3 can allow tethering if the carriers will still charge for the internet service using the feature. If not and as it seems, Verizon would be the only one in the US allowing free internet access through tethering while all the competitors are charging? I find that hard to believe but we'll see. I'd think it would force AT&T and Sprint to allow it free as well but they won't want to give up that service charge so it will be interesting to see what happens.

jauhari · Jan 15, 2011

In Indonesia, using Telkomsel network you can Teathering Free

TheBigGiantHead · Jan 15, 2011

skweekymagee said:
My fiance has the Evo 4G on Sprint and tethering is an additional charge. I can tether to her phone but get no internet access. That being the case, I wonder if just b/c iOS 4.3 can allow tethering if the carriers will still charge for the internet service using the feature. If not and as it seems, Verizon would be the only one in the US allowing free internet access through tethering while all the competitors are charging? I find that hard to believe but we'll see. I'd think it would force AT&T and Sprint to allow it free as well but they won't want to give up that service charge so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Thats exactly what i was thinking. Free tethering would put more of a load on at&ts network as it is but to stay competitive i would think they would have too. Im also thinking att is going to wait and see what happens with verizon. I dont think Verizon has any clue as to how seriously the iphone is going to effect their network, it may be that verizon offers free tethering now but (much like unlimited data) will do away with after they see how its bogging them down.