At the end of our report, we asked readers to contact the following “artisans of bovine excrement” to ask them how long we iPhone users have to wait for the tethering capability that their company began promising in in November 2008:
• Randall L. Stephenson, AT&T Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President: randall.stephenson@att.com
• Ralph de la Vega, President and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets: ralph.delavega@att.com
• John T. Stankey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Operations: john.stankey@att.com
Numerous readers did so and forwarded to us AT&T’s response (thank you everyone!) each of which stated:
Thank you for your recent email AT&T . Tethering the iPhone is a priority for us and we are working hard to make it available as soon as possible. As you might imagine, we want to make sure that we deliver a quality customer experience from the start.
We don’t have details yet but will be sure to make a news announcement when tethering becomes available.
Thanks again for your feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
Gary Allen
MacDailyNews Take: Priority? AT&T began promising it in 2008! Some “priority.” And, ASAP? Seriously? Forgive us if we decline to hold our collective breath.
Okay will it cost anything and will it work with iPad?
So the service is imminent?
I say give it a chance. Jobs, Cooke and Co. Are happy with the relationship, they know what’s in store and we know that they would not compromise theiPhone, iPad or the user experience.
There is a steep growing curve to overcome and Im sure Verixpn wouldn’t be doing anywhere as much as ATT if they were given an in at this point, except picking up slack and overflow.
When Apple starts getting impatient, that’s when it’s time to blast. Hold your horses till then – Att I’d not doing a bad job.
According to Steve Jobs one word reply to an email asking the question of iPad tethering to iPhone: “No”.
Other carriers not in the US have long allowed tethering for the iPhone.
Excuse typos
No, really! Coming soon
I don’t understand all the angst about tethering. You can access ATT’s network today using an ATT device and by paying $60.00 a month. If tethering was that important, then paying $60.00 would not be an issue.
This sounds more like the few that push the most data across ATT’s network (despoiling the experience for the majority that don’t push as much data) wanting to do so without paying the $60.00 monthly fee.
I sent an email a day before your story asking people to send emails. It seems I got a canned response from AT&T;that hasn’t changed since 3.0 came out.
_________
Thank you for choosing AT&T;Mobility as your wireless service provider. As a valued customer, your complete satisfaction with the wireless service we provide is our top priority.
Recently, the Executive Response Team received notification that you filed a complaint regarding tethering with your iPhone running the iPhone OS 3.0 software.
Apple did announce that tethering will be possible with its new 3.0 software which becomes available on June 17. While AT&T;will not initially support that feature, we absolutely do intend to in the future. We understand that many of our customers are interested in this feature, and we are working with Apple to bring it to market.
AT&T;sincerely regrets any inconvenience this issue may have caused.
Please feel free to contact me directly at 425-288-2983, if you have any additional questions or concerns in this matter.
Respectfully,
Karen Johnson
Customer Appeals Manager, Executive Response
AT&T;Mobility
Karen Johnson| Customer Appeals Manager, Executive Response| AT&T; Business Solutions| AT&T; Mobility Services| Office 425-288-2983
Inshallah
Is the iPhone the only smart phone w/o tethering?
just my $0.02
Normally Rogers is in the business of screwing over it’s customers but on tethering they got it right, right away and at least for now it’s free.
I remember when Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in January 2007, and he had that graph of easy to use phone but lacked capabilities and then there were the “smart” phones that did a lot but were not so simple to use. Steve wanted Apple’s phones to be in the upper right quadrant of that graph where the iPhone had great capabilities and was simple to use…
If the iPhone is so simple, why is AT&T;having such a difficult time?
What would Steve’s e-mail “sent from my iPhone” be???
We know Steve’s witty short replies… so I guess his response would be “Soon.”
Given how tethering was featured by Apple in the OS 3 presentation, I find it confusing they don’t bring pressure to bear on ATT. That other carriers outside the US offer tethering makes Apple’s inertia that much more confounding.
@It’s About Time
Probably why Apple was able to get non contract iPad rates of 15.00 for 250 MB and 30.00 unlimited AT&T;3G service.
…”Is the iPhone the only smart phone w/o tethering?”
Actually, iPhone HAS tethering. Only in the US (on AT&T) does it not work and has been removed/disabled.
However, in the US, tethering is available for most phones, smart or dumb, on all carriers.
Translation: Go ahead and buy that iPad with no WiFi on launch day, we’ve got your back! Honest!!!
@ jarrettdailynews – Mac OS X 10.6.3 continues to be wayyyyy more imminent than this.
“If the iPhone is so simple, why is AT&T;having such a difficult time?”
You might as well ask: “If beer is free, why do we have such a hard time keeping it in stock?”
In other words, AT&T;is basically saying: We still haven’t found a way to charge you more for the privilege of using the bandwidth you’ve already paid for.
To be fair, Rogers/Bell/Telus have tethering, but have realistic data caps and charge WAY too much for data plans.
Ideally, AT&T;would provide a data cap with tethering plans but not charge for tethering. AT&T;is worried about people doing massive bandwidth activities because users have unlimited data.
In other words, AT&T;is basically saying: We still haven’t found a way to charge you more for the privilege of using the bandwidth you’ve already paid for.
To be fair, Rogers/Bell/Telus have tethering, but have realistic data caps and charge WAY too much for data plans.
Ideally, AT&T;would provide a data cap with tethering plans but not charge for tethering. AT&T;is worried about people doing massive bandwidth activities because users have unlimited data.
In other words, AT&T;is basically saying: We still haven’t found a way to charge you more for the privilege of using the bandwidth you’ve already paid for.
To be fair, Rogers/Bell/Telus have tethering, but have realistic data caps and charge WAY too much for data plans.
Ideally, AT&T;would provide a data cap with tethering plans but not charge for tethering. AT&T;is worried about people doing massive bandwidth activities because users have unlimited data.
In other words, AT&T;is basically saying: We still haven’t found a way to charge you more for the privilege of using the bandwidth you’ve already paid for.
To be fair, Rogers/Bell/Telus have tethering, but have realistic data caps and charge WAY too much for data plans.
Ideally, AT&T;would provide a data cap with tethering plans but not charge for tethering. AT&T;is worried about people doing massive bandwidth activities because users have unlimited data.
In other words, AT&T;is basically saying: We still haven’t found a way to charge you more for the privilege of using the bandwidth you’ve already paid for.
To be fair, Rogers/Bell/Telus have tethering, but have realistic data caps and charge WAY too much for data plans.
Ideally, AT&T;would provide a data cap with tethering plans but not charge for tethering. AT&T;is worried about people doing massive bandwidth activities because users have unlimited data.
In other words, AT&T;is basically saying: We still haven’t found a way to charge you more for the privilege of using the bandwidth you’ve already paid for.
To be fair, Rogers/Bell/Telus have tethering, but have realistic data caps and charge WAY too much for data plans.
Ideally, AT&T;would provide a data cap with tethering plans but not charge for tethering. AT&T;is worried about people doing massive bandwidth activities because users have unlimited data.
Steve Jobs Says “No,” iPad Won’t Tether To iPhone
http://gizmodo.com/5487170/steve-jobs-says-no-ipad-wont-tether-to-iphone