14 DAY TRIAL // A report over at MacDailyNews contains an email excerpt from one of AT&T’s staffers, who apparently confirmed the company’s plans to enable iPhone tethering as soon as possible. Tethering basically allows users to connect to WiFi or 3G on a computer through their iPhone, by turning the handset into a "modem."
The MacDailyNews report begins by outlining that AT&T has failed to deliver tethering on time, “as promised within a reasonable amount of time,” the site’s exact words are. It goes to note how this constantly increasing frustration has led to an initiative that involved the site’s readers, whom MacDailyNews would encourage to contact AT&T and ask it, “How long we iPhone users have to wait for the tethering capability.”
Without fail, the readers went and knocked on AT&T’s (virtual) door for some answers. Those who received a response were able to confirm that the provider of wireless services in the US was focused on the matter. The carrier’s repose to all queries was the following, as posted by MacDailyNews:
Thank you for your recent email AT&T . Tethering the iPhone is a priority for us and we are working hard to make it available as soon as possible. As you might imagine, we want to make sure that we deliver a quality customer experience from the start.
We don't have details yet but will be sure to make a news announcement when tethering becomes available.
Thanks again for your feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
Gary Allen [email protected]
On its website, Apple addresses iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS users saying, “Now you can share the fast 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac or PC and connect to the Internet from just about anywhere — no Wi-Fi required.” Using fine print, it then adds, “Tethering is not currently offered in the U.S. and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.”
As if eager to rub it in the US iPhone owner’s face, Apple then describes the benefits of being able to tether, explaining that, “With Internet tethering on iPhone, you don’t need a Wi-Fi hotspot to surf the web from your computer. Now you can share the 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac notebook or PC laptop and connect to the Internet anywhere. When your iPhone is tethered, you can still send and receive data and make phone calls.”