“Just a day before Verizon is about to take pre-orders for the iPhone, AT&T has announced revised tethering costs for the iPhone and plans to support mobile hotspotting,” Brian X. Chen reports for Wired.
“AT&T on Wednesday changed its tethering plan to be a bit more budget-friendly,” Chen reports. “‘Customers will incur the same $20 monthly fee they’re accustomed to paying, only now they’ll receive an extra 2 GB of data each month that can be used among all devices,’ AT&T said in a statement.”
Chen reports, “AT&T has not announced official details about hotspotting on the iPhone, but a spokesman said the company is working with Apple to support it… For comparison, Verizon offers hotspotting [connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices] + tethering with two extra gigs for $20 per month for the iPhone.”
Full article here.
I just want unlimited data plan for new users. Just like what we have on our family plan since 1 gen iPhone…. For me thats more important.
Competition is good, no?
Competition is good, YES!
From a technical standpoint, how can they tell if the data I’m using is from the iPhone itself or via a tether? So for example, if I have unlimited data on my iPhone and extra 2gb via tether, how do they meter just the tethered amount?
In Finland, you can get unlimited data at 8 euros a month. BYOIPHONE. The USA as far as cellular service is still cave man.
Altho this is a step forward for the sleazeballs at AT&T, it still doesn’t restore unlimited data. Until then, I am happy that I never switched plans and still have the original unlimited deal that came with my iPhone 1.
When will these guys realize that they’re just dumb pipes?
@JB – they don’t meter the tethered data because, at this point, you can’t have an unlimited data plan and tethering. YOU MUST switch to one of the metered plans on AT&T. It sucks.
The only way this even begins to make sense is to let those of us who still have unlimited data plans to add tethering. Whether that is worth $20 a month is still an open question.
Internally tethering will appear as a separate virtual interface card so they can easily meter each network interface.
This is only the start. AT&T is matching Verizon because they know people will be leaving them and they are the only competition. I cannot wait for TMobile to join the gang. That is when we will see major improvement in pricing plans.
AT&T is so desperate, I got a physical mail from them last night telling me how good their speed will be as they migrate to 4G. I think they believe people are idiots and will believe any half truth. Yes 4G is coming but 2012-2014 is a life time away.
…”Internally tethering will appear as a separate virtual interface card so they can easily meter each network interface.
“
Why would they need to meter tethering usage separately? 2GB tethering allowance is just in addition to the standard 2GB data plan, so if you are paying for tethering, you will have 4GB per month to spent any way you wish.
At this point, AT&T is still offering cheapest iPhone plans (starting at $55), which will satisfy the good majority of ordinary consumers, who don’t stream Pandora over 3G all day long.
Wow, now that the iphone is going to be available at verizon, AT&T is lowering their pricing and offering better data plans…
Why all this didn’t happened when verizon announced their Android Phones? (Sarcasm)
…”AT&T is lowering their pricing and offering better data plans…”
AT&T’s pricing and data plans have been the same since last spring (months before the Verizon announcement). No change.
The only thing different is the new tethering plan (affecting about 3% of total user base).
Just to let you ATT lovers know, VZ my verizon website is down currently.
Tit for tat. These companies are disgusting. Only thing that caused att to do this was verizon. If they were not getting the iPhone, do you think this would have happened? F no. Pathetic.
I get unlimited tethering and hotspot for up to 5 devices at NO additional cost. Love T-Mobile, the service and signal in my area is great!
MyTouch / ipad combo works great and saves me a bundle verses the same features on Verizon and AT&T using an iphone. OH wait! They don’t have unlimited tethering and hotspot!
greed is good
competition is better
@ Ankh
Not to defend ATT myopic strategy, but that is called just the way business works. ATT had a monopoly so what was their reasoning behind lowering prices. Get real. Now that they have competition of coarse they will be matching or one upping each other.
To say it is disgusting that the only reason ATT did that is because of Verizon … is ignorant at best. You are watching free enterprise work at last, free at last and it is beautiful.
Apple please let T-Mobile into the game!
I tried tethering and I found it more trouble than it was worth–getting the bluetooth to work was unreliable, and the ATT tethering service dog slow and subject to losing the connection entirely.
The Verizon MiFi works much better, rock-solid reliable and fast.
This is the perfect example of what happens when there is competition in the market. I plan to stay with AT&T, only because I travel internationally and need the GSM service. Beyond that, I’m glad Verizon is in the game. We are already seeing the fruits of that move. I’d be even more delighted if Apple adds yet another American carrier.
@Renaldo
VZ’s MiFi is slow as shite. AT&T’s MiFi 2372 is much, much faster, rock solid and fast.
Ok…This isn’t clear at all..
If you have an unlimited (legacy) data plan…what is the cost for tethering? Another $20 a month?
PR
That isn’t clear yet. I just got off the phone with an ATT rep and they didn’t even have the info on this yet. When I told her about it, she found the press release and that was all she had.
Others have suggested that you HAVE to downgrade to the DATA Pro, while someone else on another thread said they were told if you went to an ATT store or called rather than set it up via the web-page you could get tethering with the unlimited DATA, which suggest that it may be the same for Mobile Hotspot.
I don’t know how that will apply to the 4 GB cap. Maybe they will split the difference and limit it to 3 GBs for hotspott’in (OK, that sounds like a bad date…)
Both AT&T and Verizon are insane. Tethering should be free and a part of the ordinary data package. How you choose to use your data plan doesn’t matter. Charge me more when I hit the cap, not more just to use data that I’m already paying for.
Needless to say I won’t be paying for tethering. It’s almost enough to drive me to Android. Almost.
@ Darkness…
Exactly. tethering should be free. I’m already paying for the phone, the monthly fees, the monthly data plan. That’s enough, no más .
If you Jailbreak your iphone & go with MyWi – I don’t think they know whether it’s phone data or tether data…. not that I know anyone who has jailbroken their phone….
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A step closer, AT&T, but tethering is not enough, you must deliver that hotspotting tech to keep customers.