Comments on: AT&T confirms tethering coming to iPhone in 2009

iPhone users will be able to hook their phones up to their laptops at some point next year and get online, AT&T's Ralph de la Vega says. But whose software will make that happen?

[LMBASINGER]

I have NetShare on my 3g iphone working thru my eee pc laptop with safari browser. A little slower

than wi-fi but I like it. Once hooked up, I can put the phone in my pocket.

At home and work I still use wi-fi, but for restaurants and bars without access, NetShare works for me.

[inachu]

--- We are sorry but your application has been denied for production because of duplication. A program in our R&D dept that is not out yet conflicts/competes and it seems yours is smaller and better so we refuse to allow you to gain a better economic advantage by selling your before ours is complete. ----

I am sure the NDA from APPLE reads something like above if you ever get something from them. Not fair or legally sound if you ask me.

[Galaxy5]

Wow. You're a lawyer?

[Adjei2008]

You do know that you have to pay for tethering plans with AT&T, Apple is in business with AT&T, why would they allow programs on it which would hurt their business partner.

[inachu]

thats almost like saying I am not allowed to attach third party earphone to my iphone.

[Shoogle2]

Hmmm. Last I knew, tethering is against AT&T's Terms of Service. I wonder if they're hot on this idea for the iPhone.

[drhamad]

It won't be for free.

[slecalvez]

Try using iModem for tethering.... Much better than anything else, easy to use and works with windows vista.. Costs 10 USD. http://isoftcom.com/?p=products&id=imodem

[Fly_Dog]

iPhone2009=WindowsMobile2006?

[JohnBarbagallo]

AT&T is worried about their network traffic and monitoring users secretly....now they want to provide tethering?!

[drhamad]

Their RIM tethering plan costs $30/mo. I'd expect something similar for the iPhone.

[Forsaken4Eternity]

I'm sure they will slap a fee on this one. Just another way to milk the cow.

[novjames]

We are already paying $30 a month for something that we do not use everyday, why would we want to pay another $30 on top of that? Screw Apple and AT&T trying to steal money from their customers, I am using PdaNet and it is fabulous (NetShare sucks by the way, it is just socks), 0 configuration, full Internet access, works on Mac and Windows with no installation, and super fast. Strongly recommended. Here is the developer's website: http://www.junefabrics.com/iphone/

Any of course, you need to jailbreak your iPhone because apple doesn't want you to have this!

[drhamad]

And that's the problem. Most of us don't want to jailbreak our phones - and some of us are willing to pay for legit service.

[ka_bilzy]

I have a BlackJackII through AT&T with the unlimited data plan. I do internet tethering all the time with my laptop. I don't pay for a special "tethering" plan either. I don't understand all the fuss. Windows Mobile 6.1 makes it very easy. Basically, you install the driver for the mobile modem on your laptop. (It comes on the CD with the phone.) You then create a dialup connection on the laptop using that modem. Leave the username and password blank. Put *99# as the phone number, then save the connection. It is a very fast connection too, full 3G it seems. Why is allowing this on the iPhone such a big deal for them?

[drhamad]

According to ATT's website, you should be paying $30/month to do tethering. Not sure why you're not.

[markedman0965]

AT&T allows tethering on other phones. Moto Q Global is an example. They also charge for the service. Apple obviously yanked the tethering app so AT&T would be able to offer and charge for it. Duh!!!

[inachu]

wait until there is a bit torrent ability for iphone users.

[bonesbautista]

Not wanting to start a flame war, but I do pay for wireless broadband card with ATTWS - and it's abusers of each carrier that caused them to institute a cap and overage fees.

The carriers can't properly plan or provision for data use either, which, in turn, degrades voice quality at times on the WCDMA network. ATTWS has finally figured out how to track down violators of their TOS - enjoy that first bill when you get caught...

[Mr. Dee]

This would be really handy for me especially like how I am moving to Kingston soon. The problem is CLARO is taking forever to launch the iPhone in Jamaica. Oh well, I guess I will just have to stick my Motorola C350 and Mobile Phone Tools a little while longer.

[eldeemo2311]

i like the photoshopped iphone picture email program.

[superswiss]

According to AT&T, tethering is not included in any of their standard data plans. Supposedly, they detect if you are tethered and charge you extra per KByte. I was always kinda skeptical of that, because unless the phone tells the carrier that it is tethered, which is technically possible, data is data whether you are checking your email on the phone or on a laptop tethered to the phone. I don't see the phone bill for my Windows Mobile phone, but my company informed me to limit tethering as it is a per usage charge by default or if I need to tether frequently they will add the tethering plan. Not a problem for me since I also have a broadband card in my laptop.

[ka_bilzy]

I have checked my bill for the last two months and there is no extra charge for tethering. It may be a regional thing... interesting. I don't exactly use the heck of it, but it has come in handy like during the recent hurricanes (I live in Louisiana). I was also told at the AT&T store there is no special tethering plan (but granted, they aren't always up to speed). Because i have a SmartPhone, I am however forced to get the Mobile PC Unlimited Data plan which is like $39/mo above and beyond my normal phone service. (My previous unlimited data plan with my Razr2 was only $29/mo or maybe even less.) Bottom line is, hardware advances are close to making the separate Mobile Internet Cards obselete. AT&T and other carriers are trying to figure out the best way to continue to make money at it. It's sort of like now that long-distance is basically free on mobile phones, how can the phone company justify still charging long-distance for land lines.

[davesmall1]

I iPhone is a great device and Apple is a great company.

AT&T is already ripping us off with outrageous month charges. Surely they're not going to try for even more money for tethering. They provide that service free of charge to other cell phone users now.

Most iPhone owners love Apple and hate AT&T. We should have had tethering on day number 1 when the first iPhone was released.

[myles taylor]

I think all the blame for no tethering rests squarely on AT&T's shoulders here. People can't always blame the phone manufacturer. Oddly enough, it seems that with the iPhone, people blame them more rather than less. Normally you blame your carrier if there is something you don't like, but with the iPhone people love to blame Apple.

While there are things that are Apple's fault, like no copy and paste, not everything is.

[crudis01]

Another unfortunate fallout of Apple choosing to "tether" themselves to AT&T which has to worse network of the major players. AT&T also still gets crushed by Apple's horrific percentage takes on everything. AT&T doesn't make the overhead money that Verizon, or even Sprint, does per customer. And AT&T's TV service is a failure, so that haven't been able to link the neat things that Verizon can, or Sprint will begin to do. There is a reason AT&T was going bankrupt before the name was purchased and resurrected. They just don't get it.

[djsoss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0zAtFUX6BA

[Somecollegedude]

Okay, so am I the only person who noticed that in the 3gs manual it says that MMS and internet tethering are already available? Since they are not would this not be considered false advertising? I am sure that many Americans who bought the new 3gs expecting these two features to be "ready-to-go" when they opened the box that their $499 3gs came in were as utterly disappointed in ATT and Apple as i was. Now, a couple of months later, ATT decides to ENABLE the MMS feature, and us 3gs owners are supposed to be thankful? Umm I think not.

P.S.
False advertising is prohibited under federal law.

P.P.S
Is it just me or does it seem like day to day we are in a constant struggle moving toward a coexistence of Marxist and Totalitarian principles? At this point in time it seems like Apple is taking over the electronics department (I can't wait for their first video game system), Wal-mart ('nuff said), the Japanese have their car companies, and meanwhile Barack is trying to dismantle the CIA and trying for governmentally funded health care (well it would actually be funded by tax payers). Now I know why 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world. A Communist government along with a Socialist economy... Who would've known?

[piece-of-bread]

The reason that the 3gs manual says that it supports tethering is because the iPhone does support tethering in other countries, it's just that AT&T doesn't let the iPhone tether because they are evil devils.