Comments on: iPhone Tethering Plan: Sources Say Problematic Delays Caused by AT&T Network

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:53:26 +0000

I know why AT&T is quaking in its boots about Iphone tethering… if AT&T stopped allowing the NSA to monitor all data streams in real-time then AT&T would have the available bandwidth to serve it *paying* customers instead of just the government.

By: Tobbe

Tobbe — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:59:27 +0000

I really can’t understand this problem. I’m working in Europe where I have been using tethering for the last 8-9 years. I can’t see the problem. People over here uses cellular networks far more than hotspots and haven’t noticed any problems so far (airports, train stations etc).

What are the technical issues, really? If it’s true that AT&T has a problem with their network, please don’t make the rest of the world suffer. Tethering is a basic functionality for a phone and has been for the last 10 years…

If it’s a financial oriented problem, come out from your caves! Tethering has been used (with high load) for the last 2-3 years and this is the fasted growing segment for the mobile market and carriers make good money of it.

One very practical thing with tethering is that you can place the phone where you have the strongest signal in a room (eg window) and then use Bluetooth to connect from the laptop. I know you can’t go over 1Mbs with this solution but it’s superior to USB modems when you are chasing the signal.

This tethering issue is actually the only thing that holds me (and a lot of others) back from getting an iPhone. I really love the phone (I have tested it a lot!)

By: AdamC

AdamC — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:46:50 +0000

@gthomas: Some of what you’re saying makes a lot of sense, and I agree with it. But think about this for a second. If ATT announced a truly splendid tethering plan, you know how many people would be using it instead of their iPhones while at a public place where there’s no internet connection? How about at airports instead of having to pay that Boingo charge, or even dropping the dime on a wireless connect card.

Many more users would begin using this service, and call me out if I’m wrong, but the network would DEFINITELY suffer if this happened. It would be slammed out of control. I worked at T-Mobile for a few years, and I know first hand. Because cell carriers are looked upon as devils, being paranoid and neurotically worrying about legalities trickles down to lower management as well.

In my opinion, if ATT wants to truly avoid disaster, they roll this out before Cupertino gets frustrated. Which I’m sure has already begun. I bet that even top tier Apple execs at some point or another while traveling have either wished for 3G in the Macbook Air, or wished that the iPhone offered tethering. But then again, do you think they jailbreak?

By: gthomas

gthomas — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:11:59 +0000

Okay, since nobody is addressing these points. Why should it cost more to tether a laptop to the iPhone? The data is moving via Wifi between the two devices. Why would this be a problem for AT&T networks? Your data throughput shouldn’t be any greater than it was just surfing on the iPhone, right? And why should I have to pay a premium that is basically me surfing on the phone via my laptop screen.

AT&T nor Apple is providing any greater service for the extra $20-30/month AT&T wants to charge for tethering. Charge me for the app, that makes the process simple, but what service, neither is providing a service. It’s just a false control exerted on my ability to use either device fully.

Tethering allows users to compose and send lengthy emails that are difficult to do directly on the iPhone. Because the Mobile iDisk services are still out of commission, there is no easy way to share and send files using your iDisk, one of the most important features that was to come out of Mobile Me. Yes, syncing my iCal, Email and Contacts is nice, but the functionality that is missing is the ability to share and manipulate iDisk files from an iPhone.

Mobile Me services could negate some of the necessity of tethering for many things. But still I shouldn’t be locked out of tethering. I shouldn’t be charged more for utilizing my network connection in a manner that in now way affects the network anymore than when I use the iPhone.

Of course, Mobile Me and the ability to use my bluetooth keyboard with my phone and a larger plugin display could negate the needs for tethering.

Now maybe I’m missing something about why tethering would use more bandwidth, if someone can explain that, then maybe I’ll understand AT&T’s concerns.

By: thomas

thomas — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:54:15 +0000

Mike, exactly its time for Apple to think of the rest of the users!!

By: mike

mike — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:21:44 +0000

Why should this affect the rest of the world. I don’t understand why a decision for a US telco should affect the non-us iphone users.

By: G

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:47:12 +0000

I’ve been evaluating the Bold and the iPhone. The make or break features have been the battery life and the tethering. I commute to work on the train for over an hour a day and the tethering would make my trip so much more productive. Hopefully, the will work this out over the next few weeks (unlikely) because otherwise I’m going with the Bold. Looks like tethering is going to be an extra $10 on the Bold which is totally fair. I might do it for $20 but $30 is way too much.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:07:57 +0000

Come on – what are you twelve? Yes we paid for unlimited – but cut Apple and AT&T a break and realize that unlimited on a tiny handheld device and unlimited on a laptop are two different beasts. You don’t run Kazaa (or limewire, filedonkey or the file sharing app of the week) World of Warcraft, or have to download Apple’s weekly 1gig patches on a handheld. As soon as you tether demand will go up 10 – 100x. And I will be 2nd in line – Lizzardking above is first I think…

By: dave

dave — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:18:11 +0000

Why do you need to pay extra? You already pay for an “unlimited” plan.

How are the bits different if they wind up going to your laptop instead of being consumed by your iPhone?

By: jojo22

jojo22 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:10:28 +0000

companies can’t, corporate users can’t, enterprise, college students, non-tech savvy people, my mom can’t, nor should she jailbreak.

come on dude.