In an interview with Michael Arrington at the Web 2.0 Summit, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph De La Vega let it be known that an official, AT&T sanctioned method of using the iPhone as a 3G modem for a laptop is on the way “soon”.
What goes unmentioned is any sort of pricing information, which will undoubtedly be a determining factor in the tethering package’s adoption rate. Amongst those interested in tethering their iPhone, I’d imagine that a sizable percentage of them have already discovered alternative solutions, such as PDANet. As long as the iPhone remains vulnerable to jailbreaking, these free, surprisingly simple solutions will be available – and as of late, Apple has made no indication that they’re attempting to block jailbreaks.
Even if the tethering package turns out to be dirt cheap, would a significant chunk of those already tethering make the jump to AT&T’s offering, simply to follow the rules? Doubtful. Are there enough people out there too wary of jailbreaks (or who fear the wrath of their IT guy) to make this worthwhile for AT&T?
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Boston, MA
Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
