iphone tethering

If AT&T catches you tethering without an officially sanctioned plan, you will now receive a nagging SMS message and accompanying e-mail. Not only that but if you fail to respond to either of said messages you will be automatically enrolled in the absurdly overpriced $45/month, 4GB tethering plan (in addition to whatever data plan you already have).

AT&T is gearing up for a fight with the impending end of its iPhone exclusivity, and the launch of the Verizon iPhone. No longer able to rest idly on the fact that it is the only iPhone game in town, AT&T will have to be more aggressive about competing with rival wireless carriers in other ways. With that in mind, AT&T is embracing the Wi-Fi hotspot concept and expanding its data tethering program.

Handy Light, a newly-available flashlight app for the iPhone, isn't actually a flashlight app at all--it's a sneakily disguised tethering utility that lets you share your phone's Internet connection with your laptop. In other words, it's an app that's surely not long for this world.

iPhone owners everywhere, rejoice! AT&T on Thursday gave an official update on just when you can expect to gain access to tethering. Oh wait, don't rejoice just yet; it seems the official word is "not yet."

Although both MMS support and tethering are possible on the upcoming iPhone 3G S, AT&T doesn't yet offer tethering and won't deliver on multimedia messaging until later this summer. Which raises this question: What's taking AT&T so long?