AT&T to charge iPhone users another $30 to tether and cap at 5Gb

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According to MacBlogz, AT&T is going to roll out a similar tethering plan for iPhone as it does with its Blackberry customers.  Frankly, we don't like tethering.  Jailbreak and PDANet says us!  Details from MacBlogz:

The reason we haven’t heard or seen anything about it, is because AT&T is being extremely paranoid of how the service will run on their network. “Since I’ve worked here, I’ve never seen them be so worried about legalities,” my colleague explained. Regarding the service being available to Blackberry users, he says that it’s a different situation. Blackberry users haven’t slammed AT&T’s network by the millions in one quarter, in such large rushes. “Regardless of how many billions of dollars AT&T pours into their 3G network, it hasn’t been stable enough to handle all you iPhone users,” he explained.

• 5GB Data Cap (just like Blackberry users) - AT&T will automatically turn off your tethering connection if you use too much bandwidth. Of note, the 5GB cap might get sliced for all users, not just iPhone users, in order to accommodate all new tethering plan customers (bandwidth demand).
• Initial connection through iTunes? (not sure if this is every time you connect, or just for initial setup)
• Expected speeds: GPRS: 30k - dialup speeds / EDGE: 110k - ISDN speeds / 3G: 1000k - slow broadband.
• You’ll want to disable auto-updates for everything, so as to not go over usage limitations.
• Will be +$30/month, new iPhone plans may be rolled out with tethering rolled in.
• Do not pro-rate tethering/bandwidth, it can become a nightmare, instead wait until new billing cycle.
• For unlimited bandwidth, AT&T will tell you to get a wireless PC card.
• No idea on a launch date.

 

Comments (19)

Hell you get shafted in the US. $30 extra to use a connection you're already paying for? This stuff has been a standard part of the contracts in Europe for years.

 Why not just scrap the so called "unlimited data plan" and charge $30.00 for one Smartphone data plan that allows 5 GB with overage fees if the user exceeds that? The user would first get a SMS alert if they are nearing their 5 GB limit. If it continues then AT&T could provide a team of consultants for unusually high data usage to contact the customer alerting them of the usage and recommend rightsizing to the next data plan. This is something Rogers does for their customers here in Canada and we're allowed to tether on all Smartphone data plans. With Rogers method iPhone 3G users enjoy on average 2 Mbps over HSPA Nationwide.

In this economy I think you're all idiots for buying an over priced iPhone. It's a horrible business phone in terms of texting, uses one of THE worst cellular networks, and as you've just reported is supported by one of the longest UNETHICAL companies in world history.

You get what you deserve I say. Had you avoided this AT&T crap, we'd all be enjoying the iPhone on networks that WORK at 3G.

maybe people want it, and dont want to listen to you!?!

I think for $30 they could kiss my a$$, seriously, my co-worker just got bill for $425 for going over the limit of 5Gb. What's the point to offer a service, that WILL bring a BIG BIG problems to customers who will go over the limit. And if you take a look how many GB you are using a Day you will find that 5Gb it's nothing. IF AT&T WILL DO THIS STUPID LIMIT, THE SAME DAY I WILL SWITH BACK TO VERIZON to THAT BLACKBERRY STORM.

Of course that ignores the fact that the iPhone fuckin' rocks. The texting is as good as any other phone and better than most, especially once it gets used to your typing patterns...then ir really rolls. There's a reason it is selling better than any other phone on the planet.

That's fine and good, but I think you're an idiot for posting a misguided message about an excellent product.

It is an excellent business phone in terms of Exchange support and texting. I know - I've used BlackBerry on Verizon for well over a year. The iPhone has that platform beat hands down. You're misguided, dogmatic, and/or a shill.

Regarding AT&T being the "WORST" cellular networks, clearly you've never compared the networks in the US. First of all, they are all lousy in particular regions. I was a Verizon customer for many years, and gleefully left them for AT&T after way too many dropped calls. In short, AT&T works better than verizon at my house, and at my brother's house, and at my mother's house, and where I work.

Oh, and AT&T certainly costs me less money per month for the plan I want.

Well, enjoy your MAXIMUM monthly premium during a deep recession. I've typed on both the iPhone and the Instinct and I can say FROM EXPERIENCE that iPhone users can't type 1/10th as fast as a Blackberry customer and only half as fast as an Instinct customer.

iPhone got everything Uber right save two things: Soft keyboard and AT&T. You like punishment? Your choice...just stop bitching in articles about how much is sucks getting SCREWED by AT&T.

I have no interest on using it if it is going to cost more than 5 dollars a month, after all I am already paying 30 to surf the web on the iPhone. What difference does it makes if I view the content on the iPhone or my laptop?

Ripoff

I have no interest on using it if it is going to cost more than 5 dollars a month, after all I am already paying 30 to surf the web on the iPhone. What difference does it makes if I view the content on the iPhone or my laptop?

Ripoff

Apple is great, but AT&T can KISS MY *%#!

i agree with that statement 100%

apple is great? maybe you're forgetting that apple killed a working, free tethering app just about 2 months ago? typical blind fanboyish! apple and at&t are in business together! you can't make such a naive distinction between them.

This is a load of crap. There is no way that Corporate customers will spring for this, as Verizon's 5 GB tethering plan is $15 per month additional.

I speculate that this is BOGUS, but my prediction record has been shoddy at best.

Wow said:
"Hell you get shafted in the US. $30 extra to use a connection you're already paying for? This stuff has been a standard part of the contracts in Europe for years."

Yup, and yet even we here in Europe get screwed because Apple bows down before AT&T and so the rest of the world cannot have any tethering options either...! They sell the iPhone worldwide to a wide range of providers, many of whome don't have a problem with their customers using tethering -- and yet all of us have to follow orders by some greedy telco provider from the USA...!? That sucks big time...!!

i hope that European providers won't charge extra fee for tethering options.

I jailbroke my iPhone a few weeks ago and initially tried the Modem tethering program. I found it unreliable and annoying to use, and never bothered to pay the $10 for it.

PDANet is an entirely different story. My laptop has been reliably online for the past hour or so, and I used it for an hour last night too. Paying $30 extra is just absurd. I might pay $5 for legit tethering, but probably not.

Well, Apple's reign of terror on our pocket books is about to come to a global end. The Bankers want a recession and probably a Depression and they're going to get it. This will throw Apple completely off their normal game plan of gouge and forget. Anyone loving that iMovie 2008? Like I said, gouge you for premium priced items, and forget about the mess they leave behind. iTunes is a laughing stock of a $1 billion iPod market. Who's designing these crapping interfaces? Yeah, I wanna "cover flow" 100 gigs of music...NO THANKS.

Brace yourself loyal fans, there is a dip coming your way.

>there is a dip coming your way.

Well, _I_wasn't going to call you that exactly...

I doubt Apple is concerned about your "100gigs" of stolen music.