It seems that paying hefty rates for monthly cell phone use and then additional data usage fees are simply not enough for the mainstream wireless carriers who want to now stop any possibility of free tethering that is facilitated through free apps in the Android Market. They just can’t resist trying to squeeze us for every last penny.
There are multiple free apps that allows Android smartphones serve as a wi-fi hot spot for other wi-fi enabled devices without paying additional carrier fees. Some of the nation’s most prominent wireless carriers are trying to put a stop to this by blocking those types of apps for Android phones on their respective networks. These include AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA. At this point, Sprint is still allowing their customers to access the free tethering apps found in the Android Market.
Reports began circulating the blogsphere that Wireless Tether, a free tethering app, could not be installed on Verizon Wireless or AT&T handsets. Representatives from AT&T and Verizon Wireless declined to provide a response to inquiries surrounding the issue, saying that Google selects which apps are available in the Anddroid Market. Nobody is admitting to asking Google to remove the apps.
Fierce Wireless spoke with a Google representative who indicated that the apps are not being blocked, but are being rendered unavailable for download for certain mobile networks as requested by those carriers. Carriers are able to make such a request when an app violates the terms and conditions of a service contract. Hence the actual apps are still present in the Android Market, just not visible to customers who use a mobile carrier service which has requested that the download be rendered unavailable for their customers.
AT&T has recently been enforcing their tethering fees, charging an extra $20 per month for the feature. The $20 gets you 4 GB of data to use each month. Should you exceed this amount, you are charged $10 per gigabyte used. They have been sending emails to their customers who are using tethering services without registering for the service.
T-Moboile USA has a better rate with a fee of $15 per month , while Verizon Wireless charges their smartphone customers $20 a month extra for the tethering capability.
