Verizon promises tethering for Droid

Motorola Droid

(Credit: Motorola)

Data tethering is coming to the new Motorola Droid in 2010, a Verizon Wireless representative has confirmed.

This is great news for people who would like to use the Droid to connect their laptops to Verizon's 3G wireless EV-DO service. Tethering will not be available on the new Google Android phone when it hits stores on Friday. But Brenda Raney, a Verizon Wireless spokeswoman, said it is scheduled to be added next year.

The ability to tether or use a smartphone as a modem to access the Internet on a laptop is a differentiator for the Droid, which will be offered only on Verizon Wireless' network. The Droid's chief competitor, the Apple iPhone, is exclusively available on AT&T's network and does not offer data tethering, an issue that has frustrated many customers ever since the phone was introduced. AT&T executives have promised the feature is coming, but it hasn't come yet. Mark Siegel, a company spokesman, said the feature will eventually be offered on the iPhone, but wouldn't specify when.

That said, AT&T offers tethering on all its smartphones, except the iPhone, Siegel said. And that capability costs an extra $30 a month on top of the data service for the smartphone that customers already pay each month.

Verizon Wireless also offers tethering on most of its other smartphones. Verizon calls its service Mobile Broadband Connect. And it charges corporate smartphone customers who pay $44.99 per month for data service an additional $15 for tethering. For smartphone consumers, who pay $29.99 a month for their service, Verizon charges $30 a month to tether. And for customers who have feature phones with a voice service only, the company charges $49.99 to tether the device to a laptop.

All of Verizon's Mobile Broadband Connect plans are limited to 5GB of data per month. And customers are charged 5 cents per megabyte for overage.

The other two major U.S. wireless operators have either outlawed tethering altogether--or they will soon. T-Mobile USA doesn't allow tethering on its network, which caused Google earlier this year to remove a tethering application from the Android Market.

And Sprint Nextel, which did allow tethering for its smartphones, is now disabling it. The blog Pulse2 confirmed earlier this week that Sprint executive David Owens said that the carrier will no longer allow data tethering on its network starting in 2010.

The reason that wireless operators are wary about allowing subscribers to use their phones as wireless broadband modems is because they are afraid that the traffic generated from the millions of customers using these phones to connect their laptops to the Net will cripple their networks.

AT&T admits that its iPhone users, which get unlimited data usage for $30 a month, consume more data on the network than other smartphone users. And there are already signs that iPhone data use is putting strains on AT&T's network, as millions of iPhone and 3G wireless users complain of poor service, especially in metropolitan areas.

But banning tethering likely won't stop people from illegally turning their phones into modems. There are many crafty smartphone users who will likely jailbreak their phones to enable the functionality. And it's hard for the carriers to actually block the service.

[ballmerisanape]

They also increased their early termination fee to something like $350

[dylerl]

HA, Tethering coming in 2010!!! Sounds like AT&T and people all hate on AT&T for this kind of stuff and now Verizon is scared of network demand just like the iPhone did with AT&T. So we will see when the droid can do tethering and we will see what happens, but anyone who says Verizon is better than AT&T should take this into account before they talk next time. AT&T and Verizon are the same, same prices, same service in my opinion, but AT&T has the iPhone, so there it is better!!! I actually like AT&T better because they don't mangle their phones and make users do certain things. But thats why we have choice if you do not like one company you can use the other one, I just prefer AT&T and the iPhone. I guess when AT&T beats Verizon with tethering for the iPhone they will come out and say "i don't tether" because I am R2D2!!!!

[XiroMisho]

the difference between Verizon and AT&T currently (and the flaw in your rant) would be that Verizon has stated "2010 we'll tether." and AT&T says "If you wish... upon a star... someday you'll get to tethaaaaar!" while AT&T tried to contain the iPhone on an inferior network, Verizon is taking advantage of it's massive 3G coverage. I Tether currently with my black Berry Storm. It rocks - I hope to get the Storm 2 - but that's just because I like RIM and I like Verizon Wireless... now put the iPhone on a REAL wireless network carrier and I'm ready to go.

[nesta17]

"I actually like AT&T better because they don't mangle their phones and make users do certain things."

....right..Apple does that instead of ATT. Try customizing your iphone in any way except adding a case. Try installing anything other than what you bought from the App store. And then try to put your micro SD card into your iphone to retreive that word document you need for a client. And then pay $80 to have the battery replaced.

This is just another way for carriers to make money. Lots of people tether every day with no drag on networks.

sprint has said they will stop tethering on Simply Everything Plans only, not across the entire network. And as it says at the end of the article you can buy a program to circumvent the block. If you have a data plan you can tether undedected as they are sending the data to your phone and your phone is sending it to your laptop. They can't provide data to the phone only. At least the current set of phones on the market. That may change with 4G.

[bctexas]

Buy an iPhone and jailbreak it, viola,....now you can tether.

[01Phyxius]

I could say the same about android phones:
Install an unofficial tethering app, and a custom ROM, and hello tethering.

The point is, the average user probably doesn't know how to jailbreak an iPhone OR root an android phone.

[dylerl]

You dont even need to jailbreak the iPhone to tether, you can just replace the carrier file, there are lots of instructions all over the web on how to do this.

[Norseman]

....or want to.

[faceless128]

@01Phyxius

the average user knows nothing about nothing, and who cares? people who read cnet are a little above the average user.

i'm not defending companies, but if they want to overcharge the average user to subsidize usage by people who are smarter than the average user, that's fine by me.

[ebpda9]

or you can get a windows mobile phone and use pda.net

[sailinganfd]

pda.net is available on android as well.

[softwarepro]

man how much more they want to charge consumer..

1. costly purchase of smartphone (only for new line you will get cheaper but most of the time you end you with upgrade)
2. data plan must for smartphone starts from $30
3. now tethering add $15 or $30
4. Your basic plan has to be above certain numbers e.g. $50 upwards
5. double charge for early termination i.e. $350. Now others will follow verizon
6. anything else like SMS or other services add more to monthly plan..

man they want you play premium amount even for saying helloo..

hey nobody force you to buy mobile but at least some kind of regulation is needed on contract & early termination. Congress should stop it but hey they get tons of money for election..suckers..

[mbertwave]

Don't forget $15 a month for access to your Exchange account.

[teraguru1]

Don't forget we cannot provide real time account information but WE (Verizon and At&t) want you to pick how many minutes and how many text you want to use AHEAD of time.

My thing is if you can't tell me WHY should I have to guess only to be wrong and give you more money. Great job Motorola and Google I enjoy tech revolutions. Verizon, AT&T & TMobile (Phone companies), hopefully you are reading deep resentment of your customers.

[mfrdmn]

Well, let me tell you about $350 early termination. As a business owner I completely understand the way they are thinking. You get a smartphone for $200 like MOTO DROID and cancel in 2 weeks with $175 fee, it will cost you $375. What do you do next? I sell it on ebay without contract for $800. Move to raise early termination fee for smartphones only is very good business move. If you think otherwise it will not make any sense.

[libertyforall1776]

"Tethering" should be just part of the data plan -- ALL ONE. The tethering drama from the phone companies is seriously lame! Most of these phone companies are dinosaurs -- not with the times. Consumers EXPECT tethering as part of an unlimited data plan -- THAT is what unlimited is all about...

[bonesbautista]

You can't name one carrier on the planet that offers unlimited tethering on a smartphone plan. And, since there aren't any carriers offering integrated tethering, your explanation of "behind the times" should be good too.

I tether, and I have a broadband card - I need the data on the road, and I don't EXPECT free tethered data.

[cbscowards]

It makes me wonder, since they already support it for other phones, why not offer it on day 1? They already have an onerous cap on the service, so what's the big deal? Only hard-core data addicts are going to shell out $60 a month on top of their voice plan, and VZW has them capped at 5GB. Each GB after that is $50.00.

[teraguru1]

NOT WORTH A PENNY...VERIZON and ATT HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT ECONOMY...THEY ARE LEECHES. HOPE THEY WASTE LOTS OF MONEY WITH MARKETING AND HAVE MINIMAL TO SHOW FOR IT. NOTHING IN THEIR SERVICE IS WORTH THE NICKEL AND DIMING THEY DO.

[teraguru1]

i just cancelled my FIOS (Verizon) and now going to move to Metropcs with a verizon phone out of contract (reflashed) see you VERIZON. Good luck Verizon.

[dano96]

Good luck with that. I have a metro phone......makes a good paper weight. Remeber you can have the best most expensive device in the world, but if you don't have a network to back it up it's not going to do you any good.

[teraguru1]

90% percent of the time when I need the phone I am within my calling area around the house where metro coverage is not bad. When I am on the road if I really need access my company will pay for it or else its family time. Metro is similar to open-source its free and you pay for what you get. I don't need a java or .NET shop (Verizon,AT&T,TMobile) to make a few phone calls. Can't afford an arm and a leg for a cell phone.

[ckh1272]

These charges are only the tip of the iceberg with Verizon. While I don't want to bait the "trolls", I really hope Apple_Sux_Leo checks this little story out:
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20091104/tc_pcworld/droidvsprevsiphoneacostofownershiprealitycheck

[ballmerisanape]

The pro-droid trolls are conspicuously absent.. probably because it's going to be difficult to spin this.,.. a phone that looks like it's from the late 90's on a plan that clearly rips you off.. and you can't get out of it unless you pay $350......

[Pete Bardo]

I thought maybe I'd get a Droid. Fugetaboutit! I'll stick with my 10 year old phone, thank you very much. All the baby Bells suck the money right out of your wallet. Sure am glad we broke 'em up.

[DirtRidr]

The Nokia N900 is due to be released this month and I think it is a LOT better than the Droid!

[fuk]

Is it time for obama to investigate the operation of wireless carriers for fraud, deception etc?