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View Full Version : O2 Clamping Down on Tethering


Jeff Campbell
06-23-2009, 08:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.macworld.com/article/141284/o2_tethering.html' target='_blank'>http://www.macworld.com/article/141..._tethering.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"O2, the iPhone service provider in the UK, claims it will disconnect anyone using the new tethering feature in the iPhone 3.0 update without signing up for its bolt-on data package."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1245718727.usr105634.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></em></p><p>Users in the UK, and also in the US, have reported being able to use this feature already (The Apple Blog has a step by step <a href="http://theappleblog.com/2009/06/22/iphone-3g-s-enable-tethering/" target="_blank">article</a>). But now O2 is going to put a crimp in the UK style by adding what they are calling a "Bolt-On" to the iPhone 3GS, which will cost&nbsp;will cost "up to &pound;29.36 a month." O2 has threatened to disconnect anyone found not using the "Bolt-On" from the service.&nbsp;</p><p>I guess it is like anything, go outside the contract and you take your usability into your own hands.&nbsp;</p>

crimsonsky
06-23-2009, 09:25 PM
This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But with T-Mobile it was a non-issue. They don't charge for it and the capability was on both my Wing and Curve. (Although given the speed of EDGE, you'd have to be really desperate to use it).

Considering that on 3G networks, tetherers will eat megs for lunch, I don't think it's unreasonable for carriers to charge a reasonable fee for this service.