[00stryder]

Rejoice, Verizon customers! Tech Crunch reported the news a few hours ago, here's the link:

Verizon Can No Longer Charge For Tethering, FCC Declares | TechCrunch

And a second one from Ars Technica with the same info but also explaining why it only applies to Verizon:

Tethering apps must be allowed, FCC tells Verizon | Ars Technica

Also posting the first article below:

Verizon has been slapped with a $1.25 million fine for charging customers to use their cell phones as a mobile Internet hotspot, and has declared that it must allow tethering for free. Google must also reinstate tethering applications from its Android store, which Verizon had asked them to remove. This is especially great news considering more Android devices (and perhaps the next iPhone) are 4G compatible, making mobile Internet nearly universal for Verizon customers. Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T customers should prepare to be gripped by overwhelming jealousy, as it only applies to Verizon.

“Today’s action demonstrates that compliance with FCC obligations is not optional,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, in a statement. “The steps taken today will not only protect consumer choice, but defend certainty for innovators to continue to deliver new services and apps without fear of being blocked.”

We’re unsure how quickly this policy will be implemented, so if you’re a Verizon mobile hotspot user, and you fall under the non-unlimited data plans that this ruling applies to, let us know when Verizon stops charging you for the service.

Unfortunately, Verizon can still charge those of us on grandfathered unlimited plans, but they're phasing those out anyway.

[RoseBud68]

It only apply to verizon... That some BS there.

[00stryder]

It only apply to verizon... That some BS there.

Yeah, I was scratching my head about that myself but one reader on the Ars Technica article posted a comment with the following:

Good job to Casey for writing this up real quick. But to answer the number one question so far in the comments...

This will not apply to AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile because the ruling is based on the Upper 700MHz C-block "open access" provision during the 700MHz spectrum auction that Verizon must obey, according to the linked article.

This provision was triggered because the auction for that spectrum went over a certain dollar figure (4.3B if I recall), which was ironically pushed up that high by Google, who now is blocking tethering apps from the Android marketplace.

This decision is mostly moot because the new "shared everything" plans include tethering by default, so this is no longer an issue as the plans change over from family plans to the new plans.

[southlander]

With the new tiered and shared plans I doubt Verizon cares all that much. In fact they might have anticipated all this.

In fact they probably like to see it. Knowing you'll gobble up more data and pay for it one way or another.

Sent from my flip-phone.

[Saiga]

So let me see if I am understanding this correctly.

People are happy that Verizon can no longer charge for tethering, BUT it doesn't apply to people with unlimited data. Therefore Verizon will not charge for tethering as long as you are on their new Share Everything plan. The plan that has included free mobile hotspot from the get go.

Why are people excited again? Lol rejoice everyone, Verizon is being forced to let us use a feature that they offer on their own as long as we give up our unlimited data.

[00stryder]

With the new tiered and shared plans I doubt Verizon cares all that much. In fact they might have anticipated all this.

In fact they probably like to see it. Knowing you'll gobble up more data and pay for it one way or another.

Though true that they may have anticipated this, I doubt that they enjoyed this ruling, given that they were slapped with a $1.25 million fine (probably pennies to a company as big as Verizon, but money is money).

So let me see if I am understanding this correctly.

People are happy that Verizon can no longer charge for tethering, BUT it doesn't apply to people with unlimited data. Therefore Verizon will not charge for tethering as long as you are on their new Share Everything plan. The plan that has included free mobile hotspot from the get go.

Why are people excited again? Lol rejoice everyone, Verizon is being forced to let us use a feature that they offer on their own as long as we give up our unlimited data.

It does not apply to unlimited data users, and is rendered moot with the new share everything plans, but how about everybody else? There are several Verizon subscribers, namely those that jumped onto the carrier for the iPhone 4 and 4S last year, that would have had tiered data plans and may not necessarily benefit from the new share everything plans. So this is very much good news for them in that they don't have to pay an additional fee to use their cellular data on another device.

P.S. They're making us give up our unlimited data plan, unless you plan to go month to month off contract for the rest of your time with them. I spoke to a Verizon rep about a week ago and if you're planning on upgrading, regardless of whether your new phone is 4G-capable or not, they're getting rid of unlimited data.

[xandermac]

With shared data plans this is a moot ruling. They charge a "device access" fee now, not a tethering fee. They'll still get their money.

[kbz1960]

With shared data plans this is a moot ruling. They charge a "device access" fee now, not a tethering fee. They'll still get their money.

Yep I saw the commercial. Share everything blah blah. Add a smartphone for just $40. So how is that sharing everything? Add a tablet for $10, OK is that cheaper? Still doesn't seem like you're sharing everything on one plan.

Maybe share everything is everything beside access.

[hootyhoo]

Yep I saw the commercial. Share everything blah blah. Add a smartphone for just $40. So how is that sharing everything? Add a tablet for $10, OK is that cheaper? Still doesn't seem like you're sharing everything on one plan.

Maybe share everything is everything beside access.

Maybe it simply means "share more of your money".

[stackberry369]

$40/month acess fee?should be banned.

[johnenglish]

It also only applies to LTE phones so Verizon can still charge people for tethering who have 3G phones.

[stackberry369]

If u add a smartphone to the shared plan,it is $40 acess fee why,are you already paying for acces to services viaq the plan?

[antiRIM]

$40/month acess fee?should be banned.

YES! For perspective, we have 1 smartphone and 4 messaging phones. With the new plans on AT&T I will have to pay $160 for 15GB THEN $30 per phone= $310!!!.... Ya no cell phone company is going to "save" you $$$.

[southlander]

Though true that they may have anticipated this, I doubt that they enjoyed this ruling, given that they were slapped with a $1.25 million fine (probably pennies to a company as big as Verizon, but money is money).



It does not apply to unlimited data users, and is rendered moot with the new share everything plans, but how about everybody else? There are several Verizon subscribers, namely those that jumped onto the carrier for the iPhone 4 and 4S last year, that would have had tiered data plans and may not necessarily benefit from the new share everything plans. So this is very much good news for them in that they don't have to pay an additional fee to use their cellular data on another device.

P.S. They're making us give up our unlimited data plan, unless you plan to go month to month off contract for the rest of your time with them. I spoke to a Verizon rep about a week ago and if you're planning on upgrading, regardless of whether your new phone is 4G-capable or not, they're getting rid of unlimited data.

Of course they'd like to have it both ways -- get you for tethering with a traditional plan and then get you for huge data use on a shared plan for those that upgrade.

My point was I think this is something they planned on with the new plan structures. They see that in the end their wireless networks will start to take a lot of traffic from traditional broadband due to convenience/coverage/mobility. Medical devices. Security systems. All kinds of things. Having to tether at all slows down adoption of this trend. The end game is that everything comes with a cell radio and everything else has WiFi anyway and can use a hotspot. In the end they know it will all be about how much data you want to pay for, not what devices you are getting it on.

It is much simpler to meter your bandwidth use than to police which things you are tethering, etc. That's a simpler way to say it.