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AT&T Says No Tethering for iPhone 3G?

According to recent reports from iPhone Atlas, AT&T will not be offering a tethering plan for the iPhone 3G. Tethering of course, is the process whereby a handset is connected to a computer via cable or bluetooth so that the computer can make use of the handset’s data connectivity. Preventing tethering with the iPhone 3G is a pretty ridiculous move when considering that the rest of AT&T’s 3G arsenal can be used to tether. It’s a travesty, right? Wrong. Theorectically this issue shouldn’t be a big one at all. After all, tethering is sooooo 2004. Now that Apple has finally caught up to its competitors in terms of opening the OS X mobile platform to third-party development, lack of tethering should be remedied rather quickly. Just as apps like JoikuSpot Light and WalkingHotSpot transform an S60 handset into a pocketable WiFi hotspot, developers will likely attack this territory on the iPhone as well. Why bother with tethering when you can make use of WiFi and create multiple WEP / WPA-secured connections with a single device? Developers, the gauntlet has been laid.

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50 comment(s) for this post.

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  1. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 10:48 am, Michael Said:

    Of course you know there is no way Apple will allow programs that help with tethering to be distributed through their app distribution network. That leaves jailbreaking as the only option. If you’re going to jailbreak, then the “rules” from At&T don’t matter anyway…

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  2. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 10:55 am, Martin Said:

    “No tethering for iPhone 3G”

    Haha, yeah right.

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  3. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 11:05 am, Galvatron Said:

    wow are they taking pages out of sprints playbook or somthing?

    first att raise their data rates during a time when gas prices are $4.15 and not enoughs disposable income going arond

    then no tethering wow how are you ging to apeal to the mobile busness professional now? 2 deal breakers right there.

    yeah looks like a job for dvd john an an iphone dev team

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  4. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 11:23 am, Sith_Apprentice Said:

    The data plan was raised because the device is cheaper. They have to make their money back somehow. As for tethering, using wifi limits the device in terms of location. tethering on a 3G network *could* be quite fast.

    I am interested to see if the other upcoming 3G devices have tethering blocked as well.

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  5. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 11:33 am, Amir Saad Said:

    No Tethering? if I were getting an iPhone, which I just did a minute ago which is why I logged in to this website now…then I definetly lost my passion for it.
    I don’t like to hack and crack stuff…when is that BB Bold coming out again?

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  6. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 11:35 am, Zach Epstein Said:

    Sith, how does WiFi limit the device in terms of location?

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  7. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 11:52 am, Adonis Said:

    Well that’s it, no iPhone for me ever…well until they all tethering. I canceled my landline and use my cell phone for internet access. LAME AT&T!

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  8. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 11:55 am, Adonis Said:

    “Why bother with tethering when you can make use of WiFi and create multiple WEP / WPA-secured connections with a single device?”

    Is the guy who wrote this an idiot, or does he not know what tethering over 3G is?

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  9. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 12:44 pm, kanebb Said:

    I don’t understand the why tether when you can use wifi comment personally since I’m a person who’s never home I cancelled my landline like a lot of people so its much easier to tether I’m leave my comments on sitting in starbucks etc just to use a hot spot alone to each his own but its not for me

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  10. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 12:47 pm, eJay Said:

    if your phone would work like the walking hotspot, why would you need it to be a wifi router because IF your in wifi range you could just connect to the wifi directly…

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  11. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 12:55 pm, Galvatron Said:

    Adonnis WEP an WPA ar serioulsy a joke as far as encrypton goes with rusisx or aircrack ng kismet and som wifiadapters that supor paket injection (mainly atheros) you can crack wep an wpa in 10 minutes or less depending on your machine

    also zack wifi isn’t always hooked up an unless your running an anliser program lik kismet you have no real clue on how fast it will be

    example if you us a neibors connection you don’t know if they are using dsls or cable

    wether or not the wifi router is conected to the modem driectly wether or not they are using a combo unit

    and if the cuputer is in between the router an the modem

    if that’s the case when the mechin resets or goes offlikn so dose the conecction a the wifi and the ap your connected to.

    so somtimes you tething data service is better

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  12. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 1:38 pm, Surur Said:

    Tethering via WIFI really limits how long you can do it,due to the power drain of having two high speed radios running.

    From a battery life POV, USB is best, then bluetooth. WIFI is the worst,you battery would not last more than 1 hour.

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  13. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 1:39 pm, Tommy Said:

    That doesn’t sound like Sprint, that sounds like Verizon…

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  14. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 1:46 pm, Jess Said:

    If you read the article he was referring to how you can use your phone as a wifi hotspot/router to connect your computer to the internet the same way some guys did it with a Nokia a few weeks back. The phone uses the 3g (or data) network to access the internet and then pushes it back out thru its own wifi antenna to your computer. so no you wouldnt need to be home, or near a starbucks you could be anywhere there is data coverage.
    RTFA people!

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  15. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 1:46 pm, Xman Said:

    i believe the person was saying that developers are going to basically tether via wifi (instead of a wired connection or bluetooth). how? well that’s what they have to figure out. they will have to turn the iphone into a wifi hotspot whereby using the 3G connection. this will allow sharing of the 3G connection with several computers.
    like one person already mentioned, apple will never go for this so it will be hit or miss every time they have a firmware update.

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  16. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 1:57 pm, Zach Epstein Said:

    Thank you Jess, it was getting very hard to keep biting my tongue…

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  17. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 2:29 pm, Dtest54 Said:

    Jess is right, rtfa applies here.

    and I hope Apple does not interfere here and allows an app to get this done.

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  18. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 3:04 pm, james Said:

    It just keeps looking better and better for the Blackberry Thunder!

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  19. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 3:50 pm, Galvatron Said:

    apple WILL interfee ther is no doubt about that

    their trackreckord with the first iphone says that already or have you all so quickly forgotton?

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  20. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 4:06 pm, Chris Said:

    too bad….a Macbook air and a bluetooth tethered 3G iphone would be a match made in heaven. I have a MBA sitting at home still sealed in the box debating on opening it or not and was waiting for this question to be answered for the past week. Back it goes!

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  21. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 4:09 pm, Cutler Ferchaud Said:

    That’s because AT&T stands for a-holes, thieves & thumbsuckers

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  22. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 5:24 pm, Galvatron Said:

    @ chris what are you going to replace it with?
    dell toshiba?

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  23. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 5:29 pm, Dtest54 Said:

    Chris you are pretty dumb if the only reason you bought the air was to tether it to the iphone. pretty lame excuse.

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  24. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 5:38 pm, Chris Said:

    @Galvatron: I currently use a t61 and have used thinkpads for over 12 years. To be honest, i have just had it with windows. My original t61 i got last may came with vista, it was unusable, so i had to return it and get one with xp (this is before they had a vista downgrade/upgrade to XP program). I have sworn by Windows and Thinkpads for all these years but I JUST CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE! I generally do a new install of windows every 6-12 months but the performance degrades within a month or so, add the weekly upgrades, the ubsurdley slow boot up times and daily Internet Explorer issues ( YES, I also have Firefox installed and feel v3 is the best browser ever made once the bugs are worked out) have finally made me want something more reliable. I borrowed my brother MBP but its too big for me, would like something smaller but i require some sort of express card/pcmcia slot. Since the regular MACBOOK doesnt have one either, in my eyes the MB and MBA are the same. Tethering would have solved all my issues. So that brings me to purchasing a MBA a couple of weeks ago but not opening and trying to figure out a solution…hoping the 3G iphone would have been it. Guess not.

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  25. On Jun 14, 2008 @ 8:57 pm, Galvatron Said:

    if you hate windows so much buy a dell an load ubauntu linux on it

    Permalink | Reply

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