Sprint to disable tethering in Android 2.2

[SilverZero]

I hope Sprint ditches the $10 fee and the $30 hotspot tax, but it won't happen. With the option of replacing your home internet connection completely, Sprint has very little argument to make to keep the fees in place as it's still cheaper than even DSL in many cases.

I didn't think about the tethering vs. hotspot distinction, though. That's good for me, I don't care about providing a connection for other people, just myself and my laptop when I'm not at the coffee shop. My bigger concern is whether I can stream TV shows over WiFi instead of Sprint TV's data connection.

Edit: Actually, I agree with Raptor to some extent: I'd rather pay a bit extra to keep the network less congested.

 

[Raptor]

I hope Sprint ditches the $10 fee and the $30 hotspot tax, but it won't happen. With the option of replacing your home internet connection completely, Sprint has very little argument to make to keep the fees in place as it's still cheaper than even DSL in many cases.

I didn't think about the tethering vs. hotspot distinction, though. That's good for me, I don't care about providing a connection for other people, just myself and my laptop when I'm not at the coffee shop. My bigger concern is whether I can stream TV shows over WiFi instead of Sprint TV's data connection.

Edit: Actually, I agree with Raptor to some extent: I'd rather pay a bit extra to keep the network less congested.

Thanks SilverZero, I realize I might come across as some kind of phone company tool but I am not. I'm not arguing that we all need to pay more just that as per user data demands increase the burden on the network will also increase. 4G may be a bigger pipe than 3G but it's not hugely bigger and the data demands are increasing hugely.

See the first post in this link below... the guy was monitoring his data usage and found he was averaging about 75MB/month before he added tethering. After tethering his data usage increased to 500MB then to 1GB putting his increase at over 10X.

Data Plan - Fine Print - HTC Evo 4G Forum

Now, permit upwards of 8 people to suck off that pipe and you can easily see how the data demand is growing faster than available bandwidth.

Verizon has already stated they will move to a tiered pricing scheme when they roll out 4G and I expect all carriers will do the same. Sprint, being the first with 4G decided against a tiered scheme -- for now -- but I expect they will also go to tiered when there network chokes to a halt. The fixed priced plans made sense when per user data demands were relatively small but as demand increase the need to price according to use increases. Over time I see tiered plans giving way to fully metered plans but that probably won't happen for about 5 years.


Brian

 

[original00]

I think once Verizon come out with their tiered pricing people will stop complaining about $10. Do people realize that the wireless hotspot is basically an overdrive built into the evo. If they make that free, they might as well stop selling the overdrive. The overdrive is 50/month and requires a separate contract with ETF which would not apply to the EVO. People just assume because they built it into the EVO, it should be free.

 

[fredd0]

I think once Verizon come out with their tiered pricing people will stop complaining about $10. Do people realize that the wireless hotspot is basically an overdrive built into the evo. If they make that free, they might as well stop selling the overdrive. The overdrive is 50/month and requires a separate contract with ETF which would not apply to the EVO. People just assume because they built it into the EVO, it should be free.

overdrive is actually $59.99 and has a 5GB 3g cap. if you are on a family plan, for $60 you could add extra line for the EVO and use it for a home phone, internet connection, and more with no data cap...

 

[Raptor]

overdrive is actually $59.99 and has a 5GB 3g cap. if you are on a family plan, for $60 you could add extra line for the EVO and use it for a home phone, internet connection, and more with no data cap...

For a time I had, in addition to the iPhone at about $88/month after tax, the ATT 3G data card/plan at about $70/month after tax. I worked a project that did not have internet access and since the iPhone doesn't tether and I didn't want to jail break, I had to go with the laptop connect card/plan. I stayed with it for a bit over a year but when the project was over I dumped the card/plan.

I look forward to the day when we all have metered plans so I can reduce my monthly charge AND have access to more features. I will not pay $30/month for the hotspot feature because I do not expect to use it enough to justify the cost. If there were no bandwidth limiting issues with RF I'd dump my home internet, but since I fear Sprints 4G network will choke within a year I won't dump my home service (Comcast) as I still want access to the internet.


Brian

 

[Holsum]

When ATT/Apple added MMS and it brought the system down did it do so by increasing the bandwidth? If so, how come it's working now? You sir are clueless!


Brian

It did bring it down by increasing bandwith... its called demand. the userbase overloaded the lines with MMS because it was the "NEW" thing to do on the network.

 

[Raptor]

It did bring it down by increasing bandwith... its called demand. the userbase overloaded the lines with MMS because it was the "NEW" thing to do on the network.

OK, then how did they fix the problem so quickly? Did they magically increase bandwidth? Or, was the problem more software or server related?

It is possible that due to the limited number of users permitted to be connected to the cellular network at any given time that when ATT/Apple went green with MMS there was a huge increase in people trying it out and that because the number of people that attempted to try it out was too high the system choked, however the choking would more likely have been software/server related and less so the actual data capacity of the cellular towers.

But, if you which to persist with the notion that the cellular network is so easily choked with an increase in demand with MMS how does that correlate with the argument that increasing demand with 'free' hotspots should not adversely effect the network. You can't have it both ways.

Look, it's hard to refute the fact that there are several factors driving an increase in the data use of the average user and that the increase in demand is growing faster than the increase in available supply. At some point the trend lines cross and the system chokes. With a phone like the Evo you not only have the faster data pipe with 4G but you have a much larger display making it more likely people will use it more like they use there laptops and drive greater data use. When a guy goes from averaging 75MB/month of data use to over 1GB/month with the only difference being tethering you see more than 10X increase in demand -- now multiply that by 8 with the hotspot!


Brian

 

[Rudementry]

Hmm.... I think this would be a good thing. Takes away a bandwidth sucking (according to Brian) feature from the average user, and gives it for free to hackers. I'm down.

 

[apexi350z]

I hope Sprint ditches the $10 fee and the $30 hotspot tax, but it won't happen.

They just did! (for the 1st month at least)

4G hotspot will initially work without paying the $29.99 monthly fee-- Engadget

 

[DesertSilver#AC]

^^^HA!!! Looks like I'm going to be trying my best to clog up my local 4G network. [/sarcasm]

 

[6tr6tr]

although we cannot guarantee the performance a customer will experience with third-party applications.

That sounds suspiciously like Verizon's GPS issues on the Palm Pre Plus. Verizon's GPS app worked perfectly and any other GPS app did not work 90% of the time. Verizon later admitted they were causing those issues in their network and it wasn't the software/apps.

 

[Septro]

What part of the "Sprint charges $29 for hotspot" is missing from people's understanding?? Of cource the 2.2 hotspot functionality will be disabled by Sprint. You want to tether more than 1 pc to your EVO, pay the $29 bucks.

This isn't difficult to comprehend. Don't like the fee? Well go to AT&T or Verizon and let them charge you $59 for a broadband or mifi card. ON only 3G. With a 5GB data cap no less.

If Sprint was paying ppl to use the hotspot feature - folks would still bitch and moan

 

[Holsum]

What part of the "Sprint charges $29 for hotspot" is missing from people's understanding?? Of cource the 2.2 hotspot functionality will be disabled by Sprint. You want to tether more than 1 pc to your EVO, pay the $29 bucks.

This isn't difficult to comprehend. Don't like the fee? Well go to AT&T or Verizon and let them charge you $59 for a broadband or mifi card. ON only 3G. With a 5GB data cap no less.

If Sprint was paying ppl to use the hotspot feature - folks would still bitch and moan

actually the $29 hotspot is now free on release in 4g areas.... no word on when they will start charging yet.

 

[deparson]

Sprint's $60 data card plan is unlimited when using 4G and there is no extra charge for 4G service as well.

They need to have stuck to what worked!

What part of the "Sprint charges $29 for hotspot" is missing from people's understanding?? Of cource the 2.2 hotspot functionality will be disabled by Sprint. You want to tether more than 1 pc to your EVO, pay the $29 bucks.

This isn't difficult to comprehend. Don't like the fee? Well go to AT&T or Verizon and let them charge you $59 for a broadband or mifi card. ON only 3G. With a 5GB data cap no less.

If Sprint was paying ppl to use the hotspot feature - folks would still bitch and moan

 

[Raptor]

I think if you read between the lines of what they said they will offer the hotspot for free in the beginning but require you to pay beginning sometime in July. It's not clear what actual date so it could be one free month or close to two free months. It's also not clear if you have to sign up for it to get it for free and then cancel after the trial period to avoid being automatically billed for it.

It will be interesting to see how the system responds to the data use with hotspot but given this is the first 4G phone and that it will take time to build a base of customers I'd guestimate the system will be OK at first. I also suspect that Sprint is doing this for several reasons. One, they'd like us to get attached to it so when they start charging we'll pony up. Second, I think they are interested to know what the use profile will be with and without hotspot use. Third, I think they also want to see what the average number of users are for the multi-user hotspot. That is, if the Evo can provide 8 connections Sprint will want to know what the typical and average number of connections are and if there is regional variation.

So, in short, this is a good idea for Sprint to do this at the beginning so they can gain some insights into actual use profiles and it may even encourage some people to switch to Sprint just because of the hotspot feature. It would be very interesting to see if in the urban areas with mass transit if the average number of users per Evo is higher than elsewhere as I'd expect it would be.

The only downsides I can see from Sprint's perspective is that very few people will opt for paying for hotspot in the beginning and if there are network issues it could be real bad for them -- and us!


Brian

 

[zeccez]

That sounds suspiciously like Verizon's GPS issues on the Palm Pre Plus. Verizon's GPS app worked perfectly and any other GPS app did not work 90% of the time. Verizon later admitted they were causing those issues in their network and it wasn't the software/apps.