We just heard that T-Mobile is going to roll out a $14.99 per month tethering option for its users starting Nov. 3rd. Depending on your 3G or HSPA+ device, you will be able to tether and / or use your device as a wireless hotspot. In order to use the tethering service, T-Mobile customers must have an unlimited web plan of at least $19.99 per month. The $14.99 monthly tethering fee will be added on top of that.
This service might actually be kind of cool for non-BlackBerry using T-Mobile subscribers that don’t need a dedicated mobile broadband device with it’s own monthly data plan, however, a tethering option for BlackBerry users with a monthly fee is a horrible idea when you could just purchase an application like Tether for BlackBerry once.
I personally use Tether as a solution for the time being. However, I have heard that the Candadian carriers are looking at introducing packet inspection to get around products like Tether. If T-Mobile is going down the same route, then purchasing Tether would not work in this case as T-Mobile would be able to distinguish the traffic as Tethering traffic.
That is an argument that gets thrown around here in States as well. I think it all comes down to the Net Neutrality debate…
Can a wireless company who sells me 5 gigs of data per month tell me that I can’t use the data how I see fit, unless I am willing pay them a premium on top of what I all ready paid them? It is an interesting argument that will eventually require legislation and a few court rulings me thinks…
What guarantee did you get that that T-Mobile won’t shut you data off if they find out that you are using a third party application as compared to using their service?
That is kind of like asking what guarantee you could get from Netflix that your cable company want cut your internet connection off for using Netfix to stream movies instead of On-Demand.
Nash hit the nail on the head. This absolutely comes down to the debate on net neutrality which is way bigger than whether or not you can use applications like Tether.
To answer you question, I don’t know that there is such a guarantee from any company quite like the one that you are asking for, but Tether works, I personally haven’t run across a carrier that blocks it (don’t believe that there is one in North America), and they offer a free trial for you to test it out before you purchase to put all your fears to rest…
BUT, you signed a contract with TMO (or Verizon, ATT, or Sprint) and one of the terms of that contract (that apparently nobody ever reads) says in dome firm that you are prohibited from tethering. Like it or not you agreed to that when you signed.
As for mixing this with a net neutrality debate, that’s a red herring. That 5GB bucket in your plan is for use by the device on your plan, not any data consuming device you want to use through your smartphone.
And yes, to date no USA carrier is known to be inspecting packets to the level of ferreting out uses like Tether. BUT, they would I believe have legal cover to do so and either retroactively charge you or shut you down. Using Tether clearly violates the contract you signed. While you might get away with it, there are those who will abuse and get it shut down for everyone.
Anyone know where to find an online copy of a wireless contract where it specifically prohibits applications like Tether?
T’s & C’s don’t have to specifically call out an app like Tether. They just say what are prohibited uses of the service. It doesn’t matter how you go about performing a prohibited use, prohibited is prohibited.
You could look at this one:
http://b2b.vzw.com/broadband/bba_terms.html
Where it says:
“Customers who do not have dedicated Mobile Broadband devices cannot tether other devices to laptops or personal computers for use as wireless modems unless they subscribe to Mobile Broadband Connect.”
But the one most applicable to the conversation at hand is:
http://www.t-mobile.com/Templates/Popup.aspx?PAsset=Ftr_Ftr_TermsAndConditions&print=true
Where it says:
“Permissible and Prohibited Uses: Your Data Plan is intended for Web browsing, messaging, and similar activities on your Device and not on any other equipment. Unless explicitly permitted by your Data Plan, other uses, including for example, using your Device as a modem or tethering your Device to a personal computer or other hardware, are not permitted.”
You can get that explicit permission by paying an additional $15/month. That’s what this announcement was all about.
I’m sure if you spend 30 seconds in google you can find Sprint, AT&T, Telus, Bell, Rogers, whoever. They’re all going to say essentially the same thing.
Listen, I’m not knocking on Tether (or any other app that provides similar capability including BlackBerry Desktop Manager, etc.), it just bugs me that we see all these articles today about this and not on one BlackBerry site I follow have I seen the poster of the article about this subject tell their readers point blank that if they’ve been doing it up until now they’ve been violating their contract. Much as I hate to admit it, only BGR came close to giving the full story (saying in passing that VZW, Sprint, and AT&T already charge to allow tethering, it was inevitable TMO would some day too).
this only makes sense for users with no internet limit on their phones..since for example if T provides you 2 GB of internet, it wont hurt them that u r using it on ur laptop ..it will “end” faster..but with unlimited access since its quite hard to go over 2-3 GB per month with ur phone , and if u start downloading films etc on ur laptop while tethering, that will hurt them..they should make a difference… 🙁