14 DAY TRIAL // It appears that a few U.S. major carriers have started to lean towards the 'dark side' by blocking access to all free apps that allow customers to use tethering on their Android devices without paying for it.
Reports indicate that Verizon and AT&T are among the first carriers to eliminate these free apps like PdaNet, that allow the user to tether their devices or use them as mobile hotspots for free.
Subscribers of the two carriers have probably noticed that these free apps do not appear on Android Market when accessed from their handsets, and they cannot be installed from Android Market Webstore.
Most of the carriers have already introduced tethering plans that customers are supposed to pay for to use their capability.
Usually, these tethering plans start from around $20 per month on top of the standard contract costs, which may seem a bit expensive, especially for those who do not use tethering that often.
It's also a moral issue as customers that have access to tethering are usually paying for a data plan, which means that they can receive that data on any device they want instead of being limited by the carrier to only one handset.
However, not all is so dark, as Verizon subscribers can choose to sideload the apps and still take advantage of the tethering function, while AT&T users can pull out the SIM card and use a Wi-Fi connection to browse the Market.
In addition, Verizon and AT&T users can enable Airplane Mode and turn on Wi-Fi to browse the Android Market without pulling out the SIM card.
T-Mobile and Sprint are still allowing their customers to download these apps that provide free tethering, but it is unclear for how much longer.
Although none of the carriers made any official statements, both Verizon and AT&T are acting according to the agreement every customer signed, which includes extra charges for tethering.