Goodbye illegal tethering

[blackbelt27]

How do you not understand that 1gb of data on my phone is the same as 1gb anywhere else? And how is treathering stealing when you will at the end of the month, pay for it? If I go crazy and use 8 gigs of bandwith on my phone, how is that ANY different than routing 8gigs through my phone, to my computer.

And the car example is perfect,
Car = data
Dealer = carrier
Permission to drive wherever = permission to run data through phone

Data is data, no matter how you spin it, tethering is not some alternate form of data, its simply a way to move YOUR data to somewhere else

if you insist on not understanding there's no point in talking about it. data is data. no one is arguing that 1gb on your phone is suddenly magical and has superpowers when its on your computer. the point is, and this is the part that you and many others continue to miss (more like refuse to listen to), that verizon is not including the ability to tether in their provisions of unlimited data. had you read your TOS you'd know this going in, and you have the right to leave if you don't like it.

your car example is flawed, even if you dont want to accept it. what you're suggesting is the dealer promised you you'd be able to drive wherever you want and then reneged once you got the car. that's not what happened. what would have happened (if we're using your flawed example) is the dealer sold you the car, and told you "sorry you can't drive on main st with this car though, do you agree with that?" and then you would have said "yes i agree with that, and here i'll prove it by signing right here"....and then getting upset when you get to main street and your car shuts down. it's a little kid mentality. you're not paying for tethering no matter how much you want to convince yourself that you are or that it should be included. you didn't purchase a tethering plan, plain and simple.

Tethering your device is not the same as using your device on their network.

no one is saying that main st is not a street, or that data is not data. i dont expect you to understand this, because you are dead set on not understanding, but it really is amazing that you (and others) don't get it.

Oh so did the verison guy tell you that? "here's your plan but no tethering" or did you read over all hundred something terms of service papers? Or what I'm guessing... is that this is all pretty new to you too

And I know legaly they can do it, they can do whatever they want, I signed a contract, but its bad business, you can't tell me for a second that your completely ok with their decision, because its a shakedown, they have no reason to ban tethering, as for "well our servers can't handle it" not true at all, verizon was rated number 1 carrier last time I checked, I don't think they got there by have inadequate equipment

its just another way to nickle and dime us

 

[vatothe0]

This is what Verizon has already done with tablet plans. You buy 3gb or whatever and hotspot is free.
Charging for tethering on a metered plan is kind of shady, but ATT gives you an additional allowance of data to justify it.

Both companies have every right to charge and meter tethering when you are on an unlimited SMARTPHONE data plan.

If everyone is so confident that "I bought unlimited" why don't you call Verizon up and tell them that you are tethering without a tethering plan because you got unlimited and you paid for unlimited. And then come back and tell us what they say. Just enjoy it while you can, Verizon has every right to and will shut it down eventually. Crying about it is pointless.

It would make some sense when they go to caps to just take a "data is data" approach and ignore tethering. $30 for 3gigs and $50 for 5 and $80 for 10 would be entirely consistent with mobile broadband while being pretty transparent and uneventful for most users (whom use well less than 3 gigs a month). But would be a heck of a nice benefit for the mobile broadband people to basically get their smartphone thrown in for free.

Of course, a few gigs of tether isn't worth a whole lot (that's ONE netflix movie!). And that's what has people in an uproar because some of the tetherers are using way more than 10 gigs a month and many probably don't have another $30 for a higher plan or to turn home broadband back on.

I'm cool with 2-3gigs at top speed for $30. I'd love an all-inclusive $80 plan, but 10 gigs probably isn't enough for me to ditch home broadband and there's no savings there for me.

Maybe a few years from now things will change. Competition from AT&T, Sprint and TMO will drive prices lower eventually. But I think the big deal is the bottleneck of being able to only put up so many towers. Sounds like new tech is on the way to fix that and then we should start seeing maybe $80 for unlimited everything everywhere (keep in mind the cable companies still own most of the pipes and they'll get their $50 one way or the other).

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[ChelseaBlue]

I'll be THAT guy

Let us not forget that when we purchased our amazing devices we also agreed to a lengthy set of terms and conditions, and while neither I nor probably any of you read what you agreed to, I'll betcha there's something in there that talks about needing the proper provisioning in order to do certain things.

 

[Drosul]

As for the data usage, if you want to tether, then you can pay for it. VZW is not a non-profit organization, last I checked it was a for profit company. If you don't understand the difference between unlimited data from your device and tethering, then you need to do a Google search. If you can't afford the cost to tether if that's your main internet at home, then you probably need to go to a pay as you go plan and a cheap non-smartphone device.

It's like going to an all you can eat buffet. You get there, then get told you can kicked out for eating more than two pieces of chicken (excessive use clause). That they can limit the amount of food you are allowed to put on your plate (throttling). And that you have to pay 5x the normal price if you use a fork, are then limited to 3 pieces of chicken, and are charged again for every piece after that (tethering clause). The only difference in the data, is that it's getting used.

Now using your analogy, eating whatever you like at an all you can eat buffet is perfectly fine, they can't kick you out because of that. However the equivalent of tethering would be letting other people eat food from your plate as well.

Now using your analogy, eating whatever you like at an all you can eat buffet is perfectly fine, they can't kick you out because of that. However the equivalent of tethering would be letting other people eat food from your plate as well.

Haha, yes! Buy 1 buffet and the whole family eats from the same plate. Or a better comparison would be taking food home with you to eat later (afterall, you paid for all you could eat).

It's also a good point that some data, such as video, is more compressed for a smartphone than it would be for PC or PS3 on a tether. Website, too, are more data intensive on those devices. So the "unlimited" data on your phone might be 5gigs a month, but those other devices could be 15gigs.

To go back to the car analogy, it's like renting an economy car and then taking the Escalade off the lot. I mean, you paid for a car so why can't you just choose any car on the lot? Obviously you rented a specific car, just like you got unlimited data for a SPECIFIC device.

Like someone else said, this is really just people trying to justify taking advantage of the system. Hey, more power to you for "sticking it to the man". Just don't whine about it when those exploits get shutdown.

couldn't have said it better myself. i mean you people know that what you're doing is wrong, but then want to complain when a company decides to stop it? Gimme a break.

If everyone is so confident that "I bought unlimited" why don't you call Verizon up and tell them that you are tethering without a tethering plan because you got unlimited and you paid for unlimited. And then come back and tell us what they say. Just enjoy it while you can, Verizon has every right to and will shut it down eventually. Crying about it is pointless.

I don't at all see the relevance in your guy's analogies, I think I'll stick to mine with all you can eat buffet and a tethered computer simply being a fork (a tool that makes the consumption of food far more convenient as compared to a computer, a tool that makes the consumption of data far more convenient) ....

There's no family eating off the plate... It's still one person eating, only now they're using a fork, to more conveniently access their food... Also the fork costs double the price of all you can eat without one, limits the amount of food you can eat, and has ludicrous penalties for eating slightly more than that.

The "doggy bag scenario" implies that you are saving the food and consuming it at another time. As if paying for unlimited data one month let you just have it the next month... again I see absolutely no relevance in the analogy.

As per voicing my distaste of the current system being "pointless", I would disagree entirely. Without people complaining, a company simply has no reason to change their status quo, and potentially adopt new policies. In the grand scheme of things, the posts here probably will have little impact on the future of a giant multinational corporation, but they will still have more impact than doing nothing.

 

[czerdrill]

How do you not understand that 1gb of data on my phone is the same as 1gb anywhere else? And how is treathering stealing when you will at the end of the month, pay for it? If I go crazy and use 8 gigs of bandwith on my phone, how is that ANY different than routing 8gigs through my phone, to my computer.

And the car example is perfect,
Car = data
Dealer = carrier
Permission to drive wherever = permission to run data through phone

Data is data, no matter how you spin it, tethering is not some alternate form of data, its simply a way to move YOUR data to somewhere else

if you insist on not understanding there's no point in talking about it. data is data. no one is arguing that 1gb on your phone is suddenly magical and has superpowers when its on your computer. the point is, and this is the part that you and many others continue to miss (more like refuse to listen to), that verizon is not including the ability to tether in their provisions of unlimited data. had you read your TOS you'd know this going in, and you have the right to leave if you don't like it.

your car example is flawed, even if you dont want to accept it. what you're suggesting is the dealer promised you you'd be able to drive wherever you want and then reneged once you got the car. that's not what happened. what would have happened (if we're using your flawed example) is the dealer sold you the car, and told you "sorry you can't drive on main st with this car though, do you agree with that?" and then you would have said "yes i agree with that, and here i'll prove it by signing right here"....and then getting upset when you get to main street and your car shuts down. it's a little kid mentality. you're not paying for tethering no matter how much you want to convince yourself that you are or that it should be included. you didn't purchase a tethering plan, plain and simple.

Tethering your device is not the same as using your device on their network.

no one is saying that main st is not a street, or that data is not data. i dont expect you to understand this, because you are dead set on not understanding, but it really is amazing that you (and others) don't get it.

Oh so did the verison guy tell you that? "here's your plan but no tethering" or did you read over all hundred something terms of service papers? Or what I'm guessing... is that this is all pretty new to you too

And I know legaly they can do it, they can do whatever they want, I signed a contract, but its bad business, you can't tell me for a second that your completely ok with their decision, because its a shakedown, they have no reason to ban tethering, as for "well our servers can't handle it" not true at all, verizon was rated number 1 carrier last time I checked, I don't think they got there by have inadequate equipment

its just another way to nickle and dime us

you're still missing the point. it doesn't matter if the verizon guy didn't verbally tell me. i could have walked into that store, the verizon guy could have refused to speak to me, put duct tape on his mouth and had me sign something and i'd still be bound by what i signed. i'm not sitting here saying i bought my magnifying glass to the verizon store and went through the contract line by line. i didn't. However, I'm not going to argue about something that I signed/agreed to, that's right there for me to see in black and white. it's not the verizon guys responsiblity to tell me "please make sure you read this, this is a contract, and you should really read it before signing it and make sure you understand it". that's your responsibility. if you didn't do it (which it's quite clear you didn't), that's not Verizon's problem. You're suggesting that it is, and that's why I said, and still say, that that's a little kid mentality.

you signed the agreement, the agreement specifically (yes specifically) states that you cannot tether. It doesn't matter if you think it's wrong, it doesn't matter if you whine, it doesn't matter that data on a phone is the same as data on a computer, it doesn't matter if the verizon guy was a blind deaf mute who was unable to assist you in any way. You did not purchase a tethering plan. Plain and simple.

 

[czerdrill]

It's like going to an all you can eat buffet. You get there, then get told you can kicked out for eating more than two pieces of chicken (excessive use clause). That they can limit the amount of food you are allowed to put on your plate (throttling). And that you have to pay 5x the normal price if you use a fork, are then limited to 3 pieces of chicken, and are charged again for every piece after that (tethering clause). The only difference in the data, is that it's getting used.

Now using your analogy, eating whatever you like at an all you can eat buffet is perfectly fine, they can't kick you out because of that. However the equivalent of tethering would be letting other people eat food from your plate as well.

Haha, yes! Buy 1 buffet and the whole family eats from the same plate. Or a better comparison would be taking food home with you to eat later (afterall, you paid for all you could eat).

It's also a good point that some data, such as video, is more compressed for a smartphone than it would be for PC or PS3 on a tether. Website, too, are more data intensive on those devices. So the "unlimited" data on your phone might be 5gigs a month, but those other devices could be 15gigs.

To go back to the car analogy, it's like renting an economy car and then taking the Escalade off the lot. I mean, you paid for a car so why can't you just choose any car on the lot? Obviously you rented a specific car, just like you got unlimited data for a SPECIFIC device.

Like someone else said, this is really just people trying to justify taking advantage of the system. Hey, more power to you for "sticking it to the man". Just don't whine about it when those exploits get shutdown.

couldn't have said it better myself. i mean you people know that what you're doing is wrong, but then want to complain when a company decides to stop it? Gimme a break.

If everyone is so confident that "I bought unlimited" why don't you call Verizon up and tell them that you are tethering without a tethering plan because you got unlimited and you paid for unlimited. And then come back and tell us what they say. Just enjoy it while you can, Verizon has every right to and will shut it down eventually. Crying about it is pointless.

I don't at all see the relevance in your guy's analogies, I think I'll stick to mine with all you can eat buffet and a tethered computer simply being a fork (a tool that makes the consumption of food far more convenient as compared to a computer, a tool that makes the consumption of data far more convenient) ....

There's no family eating off the plate... It's still one person eating, only now they're using a fork, to more conveniently access their food... Also the fork costs double the price of all you can eat without one, limits the amount of food you can eat, and has ludicrous penalties for eating slightly more than that.

The "doggy bag scenario" implies that you are saving the food and consuming it at another time. As if paying for unlimited data one month let you just have it the next month... again I see absolutely no relevance in the analogy.

As per voicing my distaste of the current system being "pointless", I would disagree entirely. Without people complaining, a company simply has no reason to change their status quo, and potentially adopt new policies. In the grand scheme of things, the posts here probably will have little impact on the future of a giant multinational corporation, but they will still have more impact than doing nothing.

Your analogy would be great...if it wasn't so wrong. The problem is it's not an all you can eat buffet, nor do they advertise it as a "go crazy, do whatever you want to do, go rampant at our buffet with no reservations. Essentially, this buffet is yours and we have no control over it whatsoever, and we can't tell you how to eat here!!!!"

It's more like

"Hey welcome to our buffet, you can eat all you want, provided you don't use a fork. If you do decide to use a fork we'll charge you extra. You don't have to agree, we can't force you to agree. But if you do agree, you have to sign this"

"Ok, no problem!! I agreee!!!! Here's my signature"

"Great!!"

"Hey wait a minute, why does using a fork cost more??? This is an outrage!!!!"

You weren't promised tethering (or a fork). To whine about it after agreeing to those terms is odd.

 

[bigdaddydog]

Data usage

So if I have a 2Gb data plan and I tether without registering for tethering it still uses data from my 2Gb right? Or is the rogue tethering not using your existing data bucket?

So data usage is data usage. The only reason I can see for the VZ and AT&Ts of the world to charge you for tethering is to limit the number of people doing it because their mobile networks can't handle the volume of data use yet.

When their networks can handle the volume they probably still will keep charging for the privilege of using a different device other than the smart phone.

 

[czerdrill]

So if I have a 2Gb data plan and I tether without registering for tethering it still uses data from my 2Gb right? Or is the rogue tethering not using your existing data bucket?

So data usage is data usage. The only reason I can see for the VZ and AT&Ts of the world to charge you for tethering is to limit the number of people doing it because their mobile networks can't handle the volume of data use yet.

When their networks can handle the volume they probably still will keep charging for the privilege of using a different device other than the smart phone.

This is ambiguous at best. How do you determine that suddenly their network can handle the volume? How do you know it can't now and they're just not "charging for the privilege of using a different device"? Have they come out and said, "We can't handle it, so we're charging" or are they gonna come out sometime down the line and say "We can handle it now, and now it's a privilege so we're still charging!"...no. Sorry. They're charging because it's a way for them to make money. There's no ulterior motive or some high handedness going on in the background.

It's not like when their network can magically "handle" it, that all customers are suddenly going to get tethering plans. The people who tether now are probably the only people who are going to tether regardless. You're not going to suddenly get an influx of people spending $20/month to tether because VZW says "we can handle it now!!!!"...in other words, they're network hasn't crashed yet, so i'm pretty sure it can "handle" it.

 

[kodiak799]

I don't at all see the relevance in your guy's analogies, I think I'll stick to mine with all you can eat buffet and a tethered computer simply being a fork (a tool that makes the consumption of food far more convenient as compared to a computer, a tool that makes the consumption of data far more convenient) ....

That's a bad analogy. You're not consuming a fork, you're consuming data. And in this case, I'd say it's LESS CONVENIENT to tether (vs. always on/connected home broadband via wifi or a data card).

But if I might attempt to fix your analogy, it would be akin to bringing coolers, tupperware and other utensils so you can take a bunch of food home with you from the buffet. You're clearly taking steps - expressly prohibited - to consume more than was intended and/or expected under reasonable course. They can't offer you unlimited in that scenario, which is probably why they didn't through prohibiting that scenario in the first place. You can't come back later and eat more, you can't take food home with you, you can't go across town to my other restaurant. It is all you can eat, but only here, at this table, for this meal - that's what you agreed to when you paid. You don't get to expand those terms based on some perverted sense of fairness or entitlement.

It's unlimited data for YOUR SMARTPHONE, specifically, excluding tether. I don't know how it could be more clear. There's simply no justifiying tetherering. You purchased unlimited data subject to certain restraints. That VZW hasn't done anything with tether doesn't change it. They are only taking away something they never promised or guaranteed you to begin with, so I simply don't get all the fuss.

Data through tethering IS different than data on your smartphone, otherwise VZW wouldn't make a distinction and you wouldn't care if they allowed it or not. The fact is you want to and will use more data on other devices, and those devices themselves use more data than the smartphone would. VZW did not sell you a home broadband plan. Using your smartphone to stream, tether or otherwise download and transfer data to other devices (aka replace home broadband) was never part of the deal.

 

[ChelseaBlue]

Youre right, my doggie bag analogy was off now that I think about it more. Some how it worked in my head.

Lets go with something super simple. You go to McDonald's, you ask for a water cup and fill it with soda. You didn't buy a soda its just right there. Your argument would be I can drink all the water I want, but soda is right there and to pay $1.29 for the soda is stupid. A liquid is a liquid and I'm thirsty, what's the big deal?

You didn't pay for the soda.

 

[czerdrill]

There's simply no justifiying tetherering.

Exactly. You can make up every excuse in the book, but when it comes down to it you did NOT purchase tethering, and to make it worse for you, you specifically agreed that you cannot tether based on the provisions of the plan that you did purchase. No matter how you slice it, doggie bags, water, soda, cars, forks, spoons, it doesn't matter. You paid for smartphone unlimited data, and smartphone unlimited data only. If you can find a way to run up 50GB using only your smartphone, VZW cannot say anything to you and they won't. But the minute you download even 1/2 MB using tethering, you have violated something that you agreed to and signed. There's no getting around it.

 

[Drosul]

There's simply no justifiying tetherering.

Exactly. You can make up every excuse in the book, but when it comes down to it you did NOT purchase tethering, and to make it worse for you, you specifically agreed that you cannot tether based on the provisions of the plan that you did purchase. No matter how you slice it, doggie bags, water, soda, cars, forks, spoons, it doesn't matter. You paid for smartphone unlimited data, and smartphone unlimited data only. If you can find a way to run up 50GB using only your smartphone, VZW cannot say anything to you and they won't. But the minute you download even 1/2 MB using tethering, you have violated something that you agreed to and signed. There's no getting around it.

Except they can, and will throttle you, drop your connection, and potentially even cancel your contract because you used "too much" of your "UNLIMITED" data. That's in your contract too. There's already network congestion and throttling occurring during primetime hours simply because the network is inadequate to the demands of the customers, and pathetically inadequate compared to the potential consumption possible under a truly "UNLIMITED" data plan by simply having 3g upload/download "ON" for an entire billing cycle .

Consumer data demands are rapidly increasing and consumers need to start advocating for better products/service and stop letting giant corporations nickle and dime them for services, then blatantly price fix those same services up to their competitors established prices, and finally stop hiding behind the festering legalese contractual bureaucracy that gives them complete leeway to do so.

Cellphones/networks are dangerously close to becoming essential parts of American life. Cellphones already completely replace land line phones for many people. Within 50 years, a cellphone may also be your ID, bank card, credit card, and primary computing tool, merely connecting Atrix style to a terminal. These phone companies are in a very strong position of power currently, and going into the future. The fact that there are so few options, and all of them being run by for-profit business trying to maximize profits at the expense of quality at every turn is what is so troubling.

Consumers, if anything, need to be more vocal about voicing dissatisfaction over the current contractual clauses, network congestion, network infrastructure, and the available tether options. These products, and the communcation/data sharing they allow, have the potential to completely change the world and the way we interact with it. They also have the potential to be utterly stifled by greed, lawyers, and asinine contractual clauses only present because of the near monopoly the major players have, and their willingness to lobby/price fix their way into keeping them and a few more dollars.

I realize this post, more than my others, is going to come off as highly "leftist". And I hope we can continue to keep the debate civil. I won't slippery slope you with first tethering soon "XXX", I'm merely pointing out the hypocrisy in them saying this 1GB is fine, but that other one will cost you $30, but enjoy your UNLIMITED DATA (that we'll throttle/remove your access to if you use it too much). We are letting these companies get away with more and more at our expense, simply because of how important cellphones are becoming to American culture. Every new phone has more bloatware and programs you can't remove. Isn't it about time consumers actually start advocating for what they want?

 

[slinky]

There's simply no justifiying tetherering.

Exactly. You can make up every excuse in the book, but when it comes down to it you did NOT purchase tethering, and to make it worse for you, you specifically agreed that you cannot tether based on the provisions of the plan that you did purchase. No matter how you slice it, doggie bags, water, soda, cars, forks, spoons, it doesn't matter. You paid for smartphone unlimited data, and smartphone unlimited data only. If you can find a way to run up 50GB using only your smartphone, VZW cannot say anything to you and they won't. But the minute you download even 1/2 MB using tethering, you have violated something that you agreed to and signed. There's no getting around it.

Agreed 100%. This was and is going to happen. My guess is that VZW may have even built in tools to try to determine who may be breaking their TOS, which probably even deal with items you have traditionally thought were acceptable. When the bottom line starts to shrink a little, they will squeeze. Always happens and get ready for the new economy.

Posted here in relation to my other thread about grandfathering - same issue - VZW will charge customers if it can and if they have a contractual right to do so.

Anyways guys, been fun and I'm out of here. Enjoy your Thunderbolts or other 4G phones as I am and see you around the Internet...

 

[UNC]

There's simply no justifiying tetherering.

Exactly. You can make up every excuse in the book, but when it comes down to it you did NOT purchase tethering, and to make it worse for you, you specifically agreed that you cannot tether based on the provisions of the plan that you did purchase. No matter how you slice it, doggie bags, water, soda, cars, forks, spoons, it doesn't matter. You paid for smartphone unlimited data, and smartphone unlimited data only. If you can find a way to run up 50GB using only your smartphone, VZW cannot say anything to you and they won't. But the minute you download even 1/2 MB using tethering, you have violated something that you agreed to and signed. There's no getting around it.

Except they can, and will throttle you, drop your connection, and potentially even cancel your contract because you used "too much" of your "UNLIMITED" data. That's in your contract too. There's already network congestion and throttling occurring during primetime hours simply because the network is inadequate to the demands of the customers, and pathetically inadequate compared to the potential consumption possible under a truly "UNLIMITED" data plan by simply having 3g upload/download "ON" for an entire billing cycle .

Consumer data demands are rapidly increasing and consumers need to start advocating for better products/service and stop letting giant corporations nickle and dime them for services, then blatantly price fix those same services up to their competitors established prices, and finally stop hiding behind the festering legalese contractual bureaucracy that gives them complete leeway to do so.

Cellphones/networks are dangerously close to becoming essential parts of American life. Cellphones already completely replace land line phones for many people. Within 50 years, a cellphone may also be your ID, bank card, credit card, and primary computing tool, merely connecting Atrix style to a terminal. These phone companies are in a very strong position of power currently, and going into the future. The fact that there are so few options, and all of them being run by for-profit business trying to maximize profits at the expense of quality at every turn is what is so troubling.

Consumers, if anything, need to be more vocal about voicing dissatisfaction over the current contractual clauses, network congestion, network infrastructure, and the available tether options. These products, and the communcation/data sharing they allow, have the potential to completely change the world and the way we interact with it. They also have the potential to be utterly stifled by greed, lawyers, and asinine contractual clauses only present because of the near monopoly the major players have, and their willingness to lobby/price fix their way into keeping them and a few more dollars.

I realize this post, more than my others, is going to come off as highly "leftist". And I hope we can continue to keep the debate civil. I won't slippery slope you with first tethering soon "XXX", I'm merely pointing out the hypocrisy in them saying this 1GB is fine, but that other one will cost you $30, but enjoy your UNLIMITED DATA (that we'll throttle/remove your access to if you use it too much). We are letting these companies get away with more and more at our expense, simply because of how important cellphones are becoming to American culture. Every new phone has more bloatware and programs you can't remove. Isn't it about time consumers actually start advocating for what they want?

The only way to increase bandwidth is change the cell networks or build thousands of towers... Both options cost money...

The truth is that the bandwidth would be adequate if people didn't abuse their plans. Sure it says unlimited, which everyone likes to point out, but it also CLEARLY defines abuse... Tethering is abuse.
Sent from my ADR6400L using DroidForums App

 

[MadScientist]

That all said, streaming content is getting more and more popular. Tethered or not, the data caps for the average person need to be raised over meager 2-5GB caps when they are instated. Also, the caps/prices for tethering need to come down substantially. It's the same data, but it costs far more than the phones data. It's obvious there is a strong demand for tethering features, and it's also obvious that the current pricepoints are forcing multitudes of people to turn to third party solutions.

Probably another thread topic, but it will be very interesting what happens with HDMI mirroring. I don't totally understand what AT&T is doing, but I believe they wanted to add a tethering premium for the Atrix dock. Not sure how they could tell unless the packets are different since it's a little different from mirroring.

I suppose the easy answer is they will throttle. And maybe HDMI out will be overrated - can't imagine watching video compressed for a cell phone on a screen much over 20 inches, the quality would be horrible. But I'm thinking plug-in a 19" LCD monitor and set user agent to PC/Desktop and browsing would be pretty good.

The compression is key here. HD Netflix on my computer is maybe 3 gigs for a movie...On my phone I think it might be 150 megs (smaller screen and 480p vs. 720p?). So even then you have to watch a heck of a lot of video and listen to a ton of streaming music to go over 5 gigs, unless you torrent.

I will admit that I have tethered in the past for limited purposes but streaming alone this month I'm already at 4.5 gigs. It's not that unprecedented to get high amounts with legitimate usage of the service. That's why I won't ever sign up for a tiered plan. I'll drop my smartphone before I do that unless the limited are respective to the given data rate (I.e. around 10-12 gigs for 3G, much higher for 4G)

Sent from my Thunderbolt