I asked AT&T Customer Support what the plans were for allowing a Playbook to Tether with a current smart phone and received the following answer,
Allison: We have no information on the Playbooks yet, we usually will not have information and as of right now looks like we will not support it other then a tethering plan RIM will though, that will require tethering though if you want to use the Internet on the playbook but if you are not using it for Internet tethering is not required. The plan for tethering is $45.00 for 4gb of data the only thing is, if you are grandfathered on an Unlimited data plan for Blackberry you will lose that plan and not be able to get that back because the tethering plan would replace the unlimited plan.
They are using the Playbook as a ploy to get customers to give up their grandfathered in unlimited data plans.
Not just the PlayBook. In fact, the PB is a minor considerations. They're using iPad. There email to customers in mid-March about adding tethering to their plan (and losing the grandfathered unlimited plan) was targeted and sent exclusively to iPhone customers. Hopefully it'll surpass all expectations, but I think the PB is like a pimple on an elephant's (iPad) back when it comes to AT&T using it as a tool. PB tethering probably won't even be a blip on their radar screens.
Again, I both hope (for RIM's sake) and don't hope (for customers' sake) I'm wrong.
It was to my understanding that the unlimited had tethering within it. further, that the amount was tracked so that if you were blazing past gigabytes you would eventually get charged. persumed the same applied now for us who have the old unlimited. and i will never give it up!!! ill find another way to get connectivity muahha lol
I'm curious - I have a corporate issued BB. As part of my plan - corporate also included unlimited tethering to our laptops as part of the service we recieve. I'm purchasing a Playbook on my own. If I use the Playbook instead of the laptop to tether is that going to be an issue?
I'm curious - I have a corporate issued BB. As part of my plan - corporate also included unlimited tethering to our laptops as part of the service we recieve. I'm purchasing a Playbook on my own. If I use the Playbook instead of the laptop to tether is that going to be an issue?
There is basically no way for the carrier to know you are tethering a PlayBook as opposed to a laptop, so you should be fine.
With a fee like that from att I would rather risk using a tether app. Those charges are rediculously greedy, I can't wait for the fcc to get off their butts and put and end to limited plans like what was rumored around our att store. You know require that smartphones be put on unlimited plans at reasonable prices and they couldn't charge extra for tethering.
At $45/month if I had to pay for tethering I'd grab a 4g hotspot. Yeah, it's one more device to lug around, but you'd get the benefit not only of having 4g, but also the ability for multiple connections. AT&T might greedy themselves right out of consideration.
This actually pisses me off, I am willing to pay for tethering, but forcing me off my unlimited plan is too much. I am offering to give at&t more money. Give us something....
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
How does AT&T know if you are tethering your playbook? I have a BB unlimited plan, how will AT&T know if I tether? Thanks.
Because you are using their network directly through a specific "port". The unlimited data plan was never supposed to have tethering included. Tethering plans have, for quite some time, been limited to a certain amount of GB. Unlimited tethering would literally take their whole network down, bunch of people downloading movies topping the 25+ GBs monthly, thats too much for a cellphone carrier to handle for a large number of devices.
atleast the bridge browser seems to be working better now since my post. i spent all last weekend using it and on edge it was like 56k dsl in painted post, ny. but still by all means usable. if as time goes on and we get updated it should work better and at&t can take the tethering fees and shove so far up..... you can guess were it will come out.
