“AT&T has started to issue warnings to customers unofficially tethering their smartphones to its network,” Andrew Munchbach reports for BGR.
“In an email to unauthorized tetherers, the company writes, ‘Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.’ The correspondence goes on to note that users will be automatically enrolled in the $45 per month ‘DataPro for Smartphone Tethering’ plan if they ignore the warning,” Munchbach reports. “‘The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan,’ the email continues”
Munchbach reports, “The standard DataPro offering is $25 per month and provides users with 2GB of monthly data, although some users are still clinging to a discontinued, $30 per month 5GB data plan. It is safe to assume that a large portion of the unofficial, tethering populous is jailbroken iPhone users and rooted Android users. ‘If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.’
The full article, which includes a copy of AT&T’s email, here.
MacDailyNews Take: You already pay for the data, but you can’t use it in certain ways unless you pay AT&T for it again. We don’t know what to tell you except to contact your congressperson and hope that one of their large campaign contributors isn’t AT&T (or any telecom company). Good luck with that.
MiWi users: Be careful out there.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Wow, no comments yet? everyone must be removing MiWi from their phones. Don’t you just love AT&T?
That practice of paying for data twice is blatant monopolistic-like abuse which should have been stopped long time ago.
Ill be the first to say if I get this e-mail that there will be some “choice words” said to an AT&T manager and the charges will be removed.
I doubt it. They have the billing data and leverage. It will probably end with you going to verizon. If you illegally tether it is like stealing cable Internet by taking off the company’s filter from your line. Unfortunately it’s illegal for you to do that even though it isn’t a huge deal.
If you have an unlimited plan, just figure out a way to make your iPhone use a ridiculous amount of data. Perhaps a script, or something along those lines, that continually loads pages, or preferably videos. Or maybe stream multiple HD videos continually. Use significantly more data than you are while tethering. Plug it in at night and let it run while you sleep. Sounds like the best legal retaliation I can think of.
This is a horrible idea as the bandwitdh congestion might also affect other innocent customers. ATT will never notice this but your neighbors will. Don’t be petty.
I rescind my statement.
A user on Ars Technica who goes by Zevanni has made a valid point that it’s not about the data usage, it’s about airtime. Phones and phone OSes are designed to do what needs to be done, then disconnect from the network. Towers can only maintain so many simultaneous connections, and they are limited by wireless spectrum. It’s an inherent weakness in the technology, and for this reason phones are based on push services. When you tether, you are using a desktop OS that is not designed with this in mind. Multiple apps and background processes constantly send and receive information, so when a person tethers, they never give up their connection to the tower. This creates problems in dense areas where towers can get overloaded quickly.
They still won’t admit they are dumb pipes and bits are bits.
This is a Net Neutrality issue, nothing more. Too bad we’re so opposed to letting the FCC do their job.
Jailbreakers getting inti the AT&T jail called billing. Stop stealing software and pony up. If you don’t like it start your own telecom company. MDN is right about contacting your congressman, but clear out your phone first. I don’t personally know a jailbreaker who doesn’t have stolen apps or illegal ROMS on their phone.
Ok. This is just pathetic. I really hate when people associate jail breaking with stealing. I’ve been jail broken since iPhone OS 1.1.2 and I do not run any stolen software on my phone. Just because the trashy people you know steals software doesn’t mean we all do.
And since were on the Internet you’re going to be completely honest. I am a school teacher and in the 6 years I have been teaching high schoolers I have only had one student who didn’t have pirated songs on their iPod. I haven’t had any with jailbroken iPods who didn’t have stolen software. All of my friends who jailbreak are piraters as well. I appreciate your honesty but it’s safe to assume that many pwners want to play without paying. That is the nature of Internet piracy.
I like how you expect me to bother reading the rest of your post when in the first sentence you call me a liar. I’m so sorry for your unfortunate outlook on people.
Btw jailbreaking isn’t just for stealing software but also to make your phone personal make the phone do what you want it to do and those illegal downloads are there for the purpose of try it before you buy it something windows has over apple if someone decides to keep it in there phone that’s a different story
I’m not defending ATT but haven’t free tetherers been stealing? I know all telcos rip us off but does that make it ok to usurp your contract agreement ?? Just being devils advocate here…
That’s a good point. These slapdash BGR and MDN posts, as far as I can tell, don’t ask this question: What DOES your AT&T contract say? If it says you can’t tether without paying for it, then you are pretty much screwed, aren’t you? Any lawyers out there have a different take? Oh yes, there’s what’s “right” and what’s contractual, and, wouldn’t ya know it, sometimes they just ain’t the same.
THIS is the correct way to look at it.
It’s like the guy that gets mad when a cop pulls him over for doing 5 over the limit. He IS speeding, the cop is correct.
As for all jail breakers pirating stuff, I’d say 95%+ do though.
When I was jail broken, I had a few apps I pirated. I was not about to pay $$ for anything off cydia. You want donations, fine. But make me pay for something that apple could either incorporate into the iOS, which they did with many things in 4.0. Or outright brick all jail broken phones. If the court ruled with apple… They could have.
Or AT&T could have done the same thing they are doing now with the tethering.
So I drive my car on the NY Interstate Thruway from New York City Line to Exit 8, White Plains for $1.25.
I attach my boat and now it costs $1.50.
I pay for the road, and I can’t use it anyway I want. Doubt that my Congressman can or will help me here.
Admit, md8mac, if your home internet link were billed in this manner, you would be screaming about it. Want to add a second laptop, cha-ching! Oh, you hooked up a Roku box? That’s a separate $20 fee on top of your monthly internet bill, and you can only stream 5GB per month. Extra GB on the Roku will run $1/GB. Whoops! We just detected an internet-enabled TV *and* Blu-ray player – an extra $10 per month each, I’m afraid. Of course, we will pipe this all through the same internet connection with the same throughput cap for which you have already paid!
In your example, you are using “more road” with your boat attached than with your car, alone.
In the AT&T example, you have prepaid for a certain amount of road, but you can’t use any of that for your boat – you have to buy the same damn road again. It is ridiculous!
Awesome reply kingmel!
You must be young, kingmel (or old, and you forgot), but that’s EXACTLY how it used to be with US ISPs. When you signed up for ADSL or cable in the early days (11 years ago), you were NOT allowed to install a router. There was a separate monthly charge for multiple computers, and you were in violation of your contract if you hooked up more than one.
Eventually, they realised that majority of people actually have more than one computer at home, so they begun offering their own free WiFi routers…
In addition, if you wanted to install a router, you had to buy or lease it from the internet provider!
So what happened? Consumer demand. The problem with tethering is that there really isn’t that much demand for it, despite all the “outrage” being tossed about on forums like this. Very few people have a need to tether a device to their mobile phone.
Well put.
your analogy would work better if you got charged a higher toll for having more people in your car.
For a group that professes to detest government involvement you sure are quick to want the government to get involved here. You should be happy; this is capitalism in action.
MDN’s record on Net Neutrality is well established. Bits are bits and one bit should not have preference over another bit. Conservatives, Liberals, Capitalists, Communists should all want the same thing here. This is issue is mostly free from ideology. Go back under the bridge troll.
Well, they nominally declare they are in favour of net neutrality. But whenever the “Net Neutrality” (notice the capitalisation — referring to the proposed governmental oversight ideas) is mentioned, they tend to become quite suspicious and would prefer the ‘free market’ to find a solution on its own…
Also, how is AT&T enforcing a rule “capitalism in action?”
“capitalism in action” = companies doing what increases profit rather than the greater good
Not sure tethering has anything to do with “the greater good.” Providing infrastructure, preventing crime, etc benefit the greater good. Charging extra for tethering is an annoyance and a ridiculous practice, but no one is hurt by it.
“Socialism in action” = 10,000,000 people not agreeing with Stalin’s government being murdered.
Stalin. That’s taking it a bit to far.
That is not socialism but communism.
That isn’t socialism or communism, it’s batshit crazy dictator.
AT&T has competitors. If you don’t like AT&T’s service, you go to another competitor. That is capitalism in action.
And although I am generally in favour of regulation, I feel the opposite of MDN’s call to get politicians involved in this one.
Of course, I don’t have an iPhone yet… waiting for my contract to run out on my KRZR.
You signed the contract and now you are complaining?
Tethering is a different thing than normal data usage on your phone.
Tethering w/o paying for it is stealing.
How is Verizon handling situation like this? Exactly.
Nice example with the toll md8mac, analogy is perfect.
If you read other forums, people are getting this email/text who don’t tether. AT$T are going after people with higher data usage. The company is defining tethering as not only connecting your phones data to your computer but also streaming audio an video and also downloading large files. They have twisted the meaning of tethering.
Go to modmyi and read their board.
You pay for a certain amount of data and you should be entitled to access this defined amount of data any way you wish without any other charges for the privilege as there are no additional expenses for the telcos at that point. End of story. It’s an abuse that should have a legal solution, like a law written. I’ve had it with the blatant greed of the dumb pipe companies.
Really MDN? Thanks for adding to the stereotype that those of us who want to install customizations and apps (like xbmc) that your iLord doesnt approve of on our devices also steal software.
Just make your own device and app store problem solved. You can be an iLord. Or switch to a device that let’s you customize the way you want ala Andriod. I like the way we are ignoring the issue. The issue is people a illegally using a device to tether when you are charged for tethering. Other phones can do it for free so switch. The other issue is people want to do things one way when a service provider says no you cry foul. Become the provider or boycott for change.
You’re a school teacher? And you’re response is “if you don’t like it go build your own? God help our education system if people with that maturity level are running it.
Yesterday as a Canadian we were getting the flack. Today is great to be Canadain because we do not pay extra for either tethering or personal hotspot. I know we do not get unlimited data but the 6g is my to do with as I please with no extra cost. Score one for Canada .
What’s the monthly data fee?
The monthly is $30 for 6g which more than I can use.
Do not be surprised if the names of AT&T and Verizon change to Apple & Google. It really seems that for mobile media consumption, there can be no future with the current trend of tiered data plans and current cost per megabyte. O.K. Apple, Here is that bold move you were looking for.
You already paid for the data and the amount you use. Why do you have to paid again to use the same data just because you want to tether. It makes no difference to the telco companies how you use it, but they want to dicate how you use the your data and double charge for it.
Its like you bought a knife to use in your kitchen, but if you wnat to use in the backyard kitchen, you will have to pay again. Makes no sense and I don’t see why it makes any difference on the telco’s end that they have to charge you additional.
I’ll switch to the first carrier that ends this bs when iphone is available on their network.
The simplest pricing would be a pure metered — no minimum, no maximum, no overage, no restriction on what you use it for day to day or month to month, just a “cost per MB” (or per 100MB, or whatever). However, I’m guessing they believe most consumer don’t want that because it’s not predictable. This is what gas & electric companies do (at least here in upstate NY) — you can buy your on a purely metered plan that is simple but it’s less in the summer and more in the winter because it’s cold, and if it’s really cold your bill will be really high, but lots of people don’t like that so they offer plans that does a set amount with all kinds of restrictions, averages, etc, but you get a set dollar amount each month.
I’m guessing the carriers are doing the same thing bills — they make all kinds of simplifying assumptions like “with this data cap you get the same predictable bill every month”. Since users who tether most like use a *lot* more data than non-tethering users, the need a different set of simplifications which leads to a different plan for tethering. The downside is that the plans gets confusing.
It would be nice if the carriers would at least offer the option of a “purely metered” plan, i.e. cost per MB, no min, no max, no restrictions, just pure cost per MB. Then people who valued the ability to do anything that is technically possible over financial predictability could use that option.
Now, if a fellow, or lady, hypothetically had a jailbroken iPhone and they were possibly using Mywi to use their phone as a hotspot then they actually are not using the “tethering” option on their phone. They could, I’m guessing, be sharing their iPhone unlimited plan without ever clicking the “Set Up Internet Tethering” option in their settings. Doesn’t it seem that those folks could be under the radar? Have any of these types of people seen a warning Email from AT&T?
these are the people this entire article is about.
It reminds me of back when we still had dial up and you would get ISP who would advertise packages that allowed you to connect more than 1 computer as if it was some wondrous thing. Ultimately it would make more sense if when you paid for an allowance of data you were allowed to just use it, if you exceed it well then you pay more, or get restricted. Simple. Of course these companies realise that if they try and define different devices as needing separate data (even if the amount you use doesn’t increase) they can charge you more money. This just shows that they give you allocations of data, most people don’t use it so they’re making a fortune on it, once you connect more devices you might start using your allowance (the one you’ve paid for) and they make less profit.
Hey MDN,
It’s not like Verizon is giving a free ride for tethering. I don’t like it either, but that doesn’t justify stealing. Until it’s different, just live with it. Nobody likes the intrusive number of ads on your site, but I don’t see you saying that everyone should install ad blockers.
The problem in the States is that nobody knew just how much data the original iPhone was going to demand. Initially, unlimited was not something that most never thought that AT&T would present.
Other countries had a year or so to price their data plans and most if not all, limited the data. As such, you could drive a bus on it as long as you bought a ‘minimum’ data plan as the Rogers Canada has.
Is it fair? Another car analogy would be going after the auto industry because you weren’t getting the sticker gas mileage when pulling a trailer.
For those with unlimited data plans, I would imagine that if you were allowed unlimited tethering that a lot would be using their iPhone as a hub and dropping their home internet services completely.
The fact is that all of the tethered data usage is counted against your data plan ALREADY. To add a “tethering fee” makes no sense; you’re being billed twice for the same bits and bytes. In terms of traffic usage, all of the data to/from the phone is funneled onto just the one channel and doesn’t move any faster (each user would get 1/5th of the channel and thus 1/5th the speed). It doesn’t make a difference if one person is streaming a movie or 5 people are browsing websites. Perhaps more insane is adding text fees, which use far less bits and bytes than the phone’s routine service communications to the local cell tower (regardless how obsessed the teenager is). The short answer is the fees are actually based on simple corporate greed and the general population’s ignorance of basic technology. Need more education? The communications corporations PREFER using cell towers to wires, although the initial cost is more, they very quickly make up their costs because they are much cheaper to maintain and expand. To pay more for mobile data service than cable internet MAKES NO SENSE. The days of mobile data being a luxury commodity ARE OVER, it’s a ubiquitous utility but the phone companies will keep perpetuating these out-dated myths for as long as they can so they can suck every penny from their users before everyone catches on. Welcome to America, capitalism at its horrific finest.
…”The fact is that all of the tethered data usage is counted against your data plan ALREADY.”
Not correct. When you sign up for tethering (now called Personal Hotspot), you pay extra $20 per month and receive extra 2GB per month. It is essentially the same price as what they charge for exceeding your monthly 2GB data allotment (they charge $10 for each next 1GB of data used over the limit).
These telco are just plain greedy. Last year, I bought a used 3g iphone for my wife. We put the sim from her old plain phone to the 3g iphone and it works as a phone with ipod capability, no data plan. My wife doesn’t need or use data outside our house, a month later, AT&A automatically added a monthly data plan without our consent. They just sent a text message saying they added a data packaged. Thats such bs. I don’t see why they force you to buy a data plan, we didn’t get a subsidize iphone, its a 2 year old phone. We just need want the voice plan that they offer. It makes no difference to them if you use a plain phone or an iphone for voice. What they do is unethical so F#$@ them.
Did you argue with them? You would likely have every right to get that plan off. Since you are NOT paying a subsidy for your phone, they simply cannot do that.
In fact, if you didn’t get another new phone from AT&T at the expiration of the previous contract, then you are paying a subsidy for nothing at all!
If I were ever in such a situation, I would argue vigorously that they have absolutely NO legal grounds for automatically changing my plan just because I chose to put my SIM card into a different phone, one I paid for out of my pocket.
We must never forget, when we are on AT&T’s usual plans, as soon as we reach the moment in our initial two-year contract when we become eligible for a new subsidised phone, we begin giving free money to AT&T. EVERY monthly plan includes a subsidy portion, and it does NOT go away when we pay the subsidy off. The only way to take advantage of it is to ALWAYS get a new subsidised phone on the exact day we become eligible for one. Otherwise, AT&T will be receiving a monthly donation in the amount of $10-25, depending on what kind of plan are we paying.
Yes, we escalate to higher manager. That is their policy, if you have an iphone, regardless if its subsidized or not, you must have a data plan. The only other option is to switch back to a plain phone. My wife loves the iphone so we have to choice but to accept the plan.
If you want to check it out, just give their customer service a call and asked them to get just a voice plan for an old iphone.
Too bad the iphone is not available for Metro PCS, I would probably go with them.
I pay $30/mo for 6 GB of data with Rogers.
When did AT&T buy the internet?
Let’s face it, that’s what they’re selling.
@md8mac
The reason you pay more if you have a trailer on your vehicle is because of weight. There is a reason the motorcycle cost less than a car.. and they have axle charts as well.. Its all based on weight. If you weigh more then you put more wear and tear on the road.. thus you pay a little more. I hate tolls because it just annoys me to have to stop and pay and I don’t use them enough to get an EZ-pass for the fast lane.
Sounds like the same concept for AT&T iPhone data plan.
Perhaps you should keep in mind that for AT&T to get exclusivity for the iPhone that amongst things that their were obligated to do was improve their existing network and drop their prices.
No one expected prior to the release of the first iPhone for AT&T to offer UNLIMITED DATA PLANS and certainly not a CHEAP as they did.
Hell, virtually everyone was complaining about the HIGH prices and they weren’t even announced.
And having gotten their wishes, the first complaint was that you couldn’t tether. Why anybody expected that signing a contract for one product would allow unilateral usage of another for no additional cost is beyond me. Its like, ‘I bought air time and I should be able to fly anything I want in that space for nothing more.’
No you didn’t. You bought a service for a specific product, a specific use, for a specific period. You wouldn’t expect getting a yearly car wash service for your car allows you to use it for your mobile home or all your off-road vehicles. But maybe you do.
I have an iPhone 4 with unlimited data. I also have an iPad wifi only which I use exclusively at home. If I ever wanted to use tethering, it would be from the iPad to the iPhone to allow using the bigger screen. Since ATT doesn’t own, manage or provide the connection between my phone and my iPad, what should they care whether the data downloaded through my iPhone stays there or is forwarded along to another device?
While other companies try and figure out how build brand loyalty and add value to their products (like Apple does), AT&T is the only company I know of that seems to strive towards pissing their customer’s off even more than they already are. Before this tethering/hotspot issue, everyone I knew were either indifferent to, or hated AT&T. No one had any brand loyalty to AT&T. Since the tethering/hotspot and loss of unlimited data issues came up, the only thing that’s changed is that a bunch of the “indifferent” people are now on the “hate” side. Good job AT&T. (Hint to AT&T, if hotspotting the phone was added on with no change in plans, that would’ve been seen as added extra value. Adding an extra fee to be able to activate hotspotting has the opposite effect and is seen as a penalty, not an extra service [because it’s not an extra service, it’s an extra function of the hardware/phone].)
BTW, does anyone know if Facetime works with AT&Ts 3G yet? I haven’t bothered trying it out since I first got my phone and it wouldn’t work with AT&T’s network.. Here’s, yet, another extra value provided by Apple that’s non-functional because of AT&T.
Sadly, Verizon isn’t a viable alternative since they’re no better than AT&T and have their own annoying and byzantine billing, tiers, penalties and limitations… I’ll have to start checking out T-Mobile to see what they’ve got going on.
Perhaps the only reasonable choice is Virgin Mobile. They are on Sprint’s rather crappy network, but they are cheap. Unlimited data and 1,200 minutes at $40 (taxes included!!!). Phones are somewhat crappy (their “flagship” android is the cheap LG Optimus, for $150, no subsidy!!). It is a cheap carrier with cheap phones, but you actually really feel you are getting good value for your money. Which you don’t when you’re on other big carriers…
Well, I ***LEGALLY*** downloaded and installed the NETSHARE iPhone app all those years ago, and still use it with my iPhone4 and macbook to this day. No extra fees, I just used an approved and purchased application from the App Store. No jailbreaking required. Where do I fit in all this???
As someone whose days with that app are numbered.
Between this and AT&T capping my home DSL without my permission or new contract, I’m about an inch away from leaving them forever. I’ll be doing my best to villify them to my friends as well.