AT&T Teeter Totters on Tethering

[Michael Essany]

image via intomobile


If you're an iPhone customer who's been waiting on the edge of your seat for an update on when data tethering through the iPhone will become available, get ready to wait longer. Yesterday, AT&T told an anxious mobile community growing increasingly restless that tethering is not yet ready for roll out.

This comes as a shock considering how prompt AT&T has always been to provide services like MMS (insert sarcasm here).

If "at some point" is the present response from AT&T to an inquiry as to when we can expect tethering, it could very well prove longer than almost any of us can conceivably wait. But waiting is what we must do. According to coverage of AT&T's non-announcement-announcement by Macworld:

An AT&T spokesman quoted by the Wall Street Journal said, "For tethering, we need to do some additional fine tuning to our systems and networks." That's pretty much holding the party line for AT&T, which earlier this year said only that tethering support would be coming at some point.

"Whenever we offer new features, we want to offer the best possible customer experience," an AT&T spokesperson told the WSJ. "Fine tuning," the rep says is in order to "deliver a great experience."

It's going to be hard not thinking about the reference to "fine tuning" this weekend.

Whether "fine tuning" means pushing some buttons at an AT&T facility, or spending months—and millions—to upgrade their cellular network remains to be seen.

Buying time with vague comments is about all the carrier can do these days it seems, as AT&T struggles to maintain their network to meet demands that outpace their upgrades. AT&T, however, is investing heavily in network upgrades that ultimately should make data tethering for the iPhone a positive experience for user and provider alike. The only variable is time. How much longer will we have to wait?

MMS, which was also announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in June, was targeted for a “late summer” launch and finally became available late last month. But AT&T's remarks seem to imply that there's still no hard date to bring tethering to the iPhone masses.

[buddyyou69]

What a bunch of BS... FU AT&T!!!!!!

[Chberain85]

cant wait for the iPhone to be available thru other carriers that can actually keep up with updates.

[The Maestro]

They seem to be trying a lot latley but that doesn't make up for 2 years worth of $120 monthly bills I went through. I will likley be going to tmobile untill verizon or someone sets sail, I mean I like my 3gs but it's kcking my ***

[adp]

Amen to jailbreaking...

Been tethering using iPhone's setting since June 23rd...and even before that using PDAnet

[Luppin]

I think AT&T is handling the situation as good as, if not better than, every other carrier could in this scenario. Would you rather them roll out all the features possible with the iPhone without having the network in a state where it would be able to deliver everything you want from it and more? I mean come on, you all would be PISSED if AT&T was just like ALRIGHT MMS, TETHERING, NOW! and your 3G speeds came to an absolute crawl and even the thought of using the iPhone for anything data-related sent a shiver down your spine. I for one am glad that AT&T is investing millions upon millions of dollars to upgrade their network instead of just half-assing the situation which many of you seem to suggest you want them to do. QQ more, there have been ways to enable these "locked" features since the iPhone was first jailbroken, so there's nothing to complain about.

[mawells787]

I'm just glad that they actually said that their network is not ready. It's better than them just putting thier heads in the ground and forget about it. They are investing a lot of money into thier netowrk go to their website, they are spending close to $17 BILLION in network upgrades. AT&T did take long to spend the money on upgrading their netowrk but now they are doing it fast. Most analyst expect AT&T to have a super netowrk by the end 2010 with a lot of new cell sites more backhaul capacity more 3G at HSPA and LTE trials.

I had tethering since july so wake up people just jailbreak.

[inzandity]

This is why I won't update to 3.1.x yet. I want to keep my free tethering for now...without PDAnet

[Fallguy]

I think someone should develop an app like a Death Clock that counts down the days/hours/min/seconds to when AT$T and Apple will get their ***** together .

[curtisdesigngroup]

Why Apple partnered with AT&T is beyond me. They have been a complete disaster. It's as if Ferrari built a new innovative sports car and allowed Yugo to power it. Embrace T-mobile. They are your friend....

[GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL]

I think AT&T is handling the situation as good as, if not better than, every other carrier could in this scenario. Would you rather them roll out all the features possible with the iPhone without having the network in a state where it would be able to deliver everything you want from it and more? I mean come on, you all would be PISSED if AT&T was just like ALRIGHT MMS, TETHERING, NOW! and your 3G speeds came to an absolute crawl and even the thought of using the iPhone for anything data-related sent a shiver down your spine. I for one am glad that AT&T is investing millions upon millions of dollars to upgrade their network instead of just half-assing the situation which many of you seem to suggest you want them to do. QQ more, there have been ways to enable these "locked" features since the iPhone was first jailbroken, so there's nothing to complain about.

You're serious right? You do know that they're half assing it now.. by upgrading the network AFTER the device and features are available. Doing it right would have meant them rolling out a competent 3G network before the 3G launched. Why should they have to put all the money they earn back into improving the network? That's what it seems like because it took them soooo long after the 3G iPhone launched to admit there was a deficiency in their capacity.

[CaptainChaos]

So, what other carriers have as data intensive phones on their markets? The iPhone is the biggest data hog of them all and AT&T bit off more than they could chew. Given enough time they will have their network in place and running good.

Drop a few million more devices on your network that can eat up data like the data modems do and see what happens to your quality.

[GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL]

We'll just have to wait for Android to hit Verizon and Sprint. I'm thinking Verizon will get the majority of new subs for their new superior devices(I'm talking about Android devices specifically). It's not like AT&T ever had the best anything besides the iPhone and if I recall the RAZR

[hollow0]

those of us who stayed with 3.0 or 3.0.1 most likely still have tethering enabled. i haven't upgraded yet, and i don't intend to now that i know it's disabled.

We'll just have to wait for Android to hit Verizon and Sprint. It's not like AT&T ever had the best anything.

Android...pfft. i spit on that OS. They should try something new and innovative instead of copying an OS platform that has been out for 3yrs already..

[GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL]

I wasn't talking about the OS itself.. and Android wasn't invented in 2010. It's closest to the iPhone OS in the ability to use data.

[hollow0]

I wasn't talking about the OS itself.. and Android wasn't invented in 2010. It's closest to the iPhone OS in the ability to use data.

Closets to iPhone OS with just data? That's the only thing you see similar?

[GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL]

I could careless if Android decided to call their next release OS XI, it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. I said Android devices are closest to iPhone devices in the ability to load up a network.

[southfrisco]

I think AT&T is handling the situation as good as, if not better than, every other carrier could in this scenario. Would you rather them roll out all the features possible with the iPhone without having the network in a state where it would be able to deliver everything you want from it and more? I mean come on, you all would be PISSED if AT&T was just like ALRIGHT MMS, TETHERING, NOW! and your 3G speeds came to an absolute crawl and even the thought of using the iPhone for anything data-related sent a shiver down your spine. I for one am glad that AT&T is investing millions upon millions of dollars to upgrade their network instead of just half-assing the situation which many of you seem to suggest you want them to do. QQ more, there have been ways to enable these "locked" features since the iPhone was first jailbroken, so there's nothing to complain about.

Oh you mean like...the super fast 3G speeds...more bars in more places...crystal clear non dropped calls via the great AT&T network that we as customers get to enjoy now from the second biggest mobile wireless company in America?

[cranie]

MyWi FTW

[hollow0]

I could careless if Android decided to call their next release OS XI, it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. I said Android devices are closest to iPhone devices in the ability to load up a network.

ok ok ok. i get it! although i'd like to see how much data android users take up compared to other phones.

lol thanks GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL :P