Bell adds tethering to their plans 39
Tethering has always been a bit of a touchy subject both officially from carriers and even in our forums. The legalities are sketchy for most. Thankfully, for Canadian Pre users, things got a bit easier.
Recently, we're not sure of the specific date, all of Bell Mobility's smartphone plans changed. Now, every smartphone data plan has tethering added. For example, the $50 plan now says,
"500 MB of data for personal email, Internet browsing, instant messaging, and tethering"
Pricing goes up from there, with the largest plan at $100 offering a 3GB monthly allotment. However, as it says, the data amount is shared, so tethering Canadians will need to be aware of bandwith used.
With that in mind, it's worth reminding fellow Canadians that the homebrew app Netstat is amazing for keeping track of bandwidth used. As for tethering apps, the most convenient one is the paid app MyTether, and lately we've been hearing successful stories of Bell users using the free Mobile Hotspot.
Since legality is becoming less of an issue for tethering, it's not surprising there are rumblings others may be creating competing tethering apps as well.
39 Comments
sweet! Now if sprint will allow it legally too. Even if works perfect now, thanks jason! Lol
Attention Sprint: Take Note.
Would someone please forward the memo to Dan Hesse. Thank you,
Palm WebOS Early Adopter
negatory sengor.
why would I want sprint to start charging me more for what I already pay?
I have unlimited data and there's next to no difference between what my phone can do and what my computer can do (aside from bittorrent). If sprint instituted a tethering plan, it would most likely include the 5gb cap and cost more than my current plan, which has unlimited data. This seems like a lose-lose situation to me.
As it currently stands, I have no problem using my unlimited data through my computer as long as I'm not causing undue strain on the network (i keep my usage voluntarily under 5gb a month).
Keep tethering on the down-low, please.
it's gonna happen either way. The FCC is craking down on bandwidth and as Deiter reported it's best that carriers start now with pricing plans such as these. Lets just hope that all carriers start so that competition drives the costs and fees down.
Yes exactly and Sprint shiuld listen. Offering free or limited cost tethering as legit options would increase marketshare widely and help bring in new clients.
Sorli...
Another reason I'm proud I'm American! 3gb for $100 is sick. I pay 70 bucks total for Sprint and that includes my 5gb supposed limit. You Canadians need to cross the border.
I don't really get this. I pay $45/month for unlimited data on Bell. Where are you getting this "3gb for $100"??
From the smartphone plans section on bell's website: http://www.bell.ca/shopping/PrsShpWls_RtpDetails.page?wlcs_catalog_category_id=DataRatePlans#1
I mentioned this in the forums about a week or so ago and no one cared...
Next time, in addition to starting a forum thread just submit it as a 'tip' from the precentral home page. They are pretty good at giving credit.
Oh, I had no idea. Next time lol
I have an idea what tethering consist of, but I'm not positive. Can someone please explain it?!?
Your phone functions as a modem (an internet connection) for any compatible device (laptop, ipod touch, etc) by way of wired connection, wifi, or bluetooth. Carriers usually charge an extra $40-60 bucks on top of your smartphone's data plan for this functionality.
Tethering is using your phone as a modem for internet.
As for a proud American? Enjoy your overpriced bandwidth. I'm paying $60 a month for a fab10 package with unlimited internet and free nights/weekends.
=x
So tethering is using your phone (Pre) as a 3G modem for your laptop?!? Hmmm how would you go about connecting the devices...USB?!?
I can see this as a useful way to get an internet connection while I'm out and about and NEED the web for something important, but I can see where the legality come into play! I do have an Unlimited Data plan w/ Sprint (mins/msgs/...everything else) so it would strange to be charged extra for tethering because in all actuality I'd be doing the same stuff on my Pre than I would a laptop - minus the Flash content, for now.
However, there are those who do want to exploit the feature and would use it as a full fledged portal to the web on a daily basis...which in my opinion is wrong - to both the carrier and to people like me who are also paying a separate bill for home internet access!
I have a feeling that the FCC will eventually get involved in this very soon...unless Apple starts suing more people lol.
To be more precise I pay Sprint 70 bucks for:
Everything Plus 500
Unlimited Texts
Any Mobile to Mobile
Nights Starting at 7
Pick 3
Total Protection Insurance
Unlimited Data (5gb supposed cap)
Sprint Nav
I implore you to find a better plan than that. This coming from a dude who used to only pay 30 bucks a month for the Sero plan that excluded the Pre. Sprint has the best rates but for some strange reason people keep leaving them.
Forgot that premium members get a new phone every year.
It's because they're leaving why Sprint doesn't care that we use a lot of bandwidth. They have bandwidth to spare. Compare that to AT&T. My daughters just watched "Hannah Montana" and "Sonny With a Chance" on the Disney Channel LIVE without a hiccup on my Pre. Upload video - no problem. Watch Youtube - no problem. I'll drive on an empty highway any day.
If this is the "Student" plan that's no longer available, I managed to get the same one. They got rid of it just before the iPhone launch, and crippled all their data plans :/
blatherdrift...
That's ALL you get for $60??
For $60 w/ Sprint you can get this...
""""
This plan includes
* Any Mobile, Anytime: Unlimited domestic calls from the Sprint network to and from ANY U.S. mobile phone regardless of carrier. Any network, any time.
* Data: Web surfing, email, GPS Navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV Premier, BlackBerry Internet Services (BIS)
* Direct Connect: Direct Connect and Group Connect (for capable phones)
* Messages: Text, pictures and video
* Talk: Night calling and weekends starting at 7 p.m., nationwide long distance and no roaming charges
Anytime Minutes Monthly Price
500 $59.99
""""
And if you have an employee discount, you can typically get it below $60/mo AND get "new customer pricing" EVERY year instead of 2 [or even 3 like some foreign carriers do].
And now Sprint customers are getting A TON of ESPN live games, not just NFL games, like Verizon is getting. I think Sprint made the right decision in going with ESPN. Lots more to choose from.
We even get to roam on Verizon's network in the slight off-chance that Sprint has some gaping coverage. (... can't even remember the last time I had a dropped call. It's been at least a year.)
Now, blatherdrift... let's take a look at a family plan with 5 Pres. On Sprint, you'd get all those features I mentioned above on all 5 Pres, for $110 + $45 = $155/mo!!! (again... even cheaper than that if you have an employee discount greater than 15%)
That's $31/mo for all those features on the greatest smartphone that ever existed, available to ANY family, not one with an "exclusive" employee discount. How much would you have to pay in Canada for all that [or anywhere else for that matter]??
I'm so happy with Sprint, I think I might just shed a tear.
we have one of the highest rates in the world. Also the government is passing a bill to let american companies open up in canada which will give more compitition hopefully and bring down prices.
also the second a unlocked GSM phone is available for a good price in US or Canada then no more Bell for me. I got 200 minutes a month. Which blows since I use my phone for work. Fido for an extra 5 or 10 bucks you get 2000min but within the (GTA) greater Toronto area. nwant a GSM Pre+ for 300$ please.
I guess at 1X it would be pretty hard to pull down 500mbs of data. With my sprint pre, I routinely use over 3gb (because of *occasional* tethering). (As a side note, I always keep my overall data use below 5gb because I'm not stupid).
but seriously, 1X? ouch.
I'm in Vancouver BC.
I got 400 Min talk time + 100 min bonus - free evening/weekends after 7 / voicemail/1000 txt etc... (also managed to get 100long distance min. as a promo/bonus for all the issues I had with my pre... but here's the killer
I have UNLIMITED internet. Plan no longer exists - they killed it shortly after the launch of the pre and before the new HSPA+ network ... I'm payin about $100/month but for unlimited net... cant complain too much :)
I'm on one of the old $100 a month plans too, except I get:
700 minutes
Free Evenings / Weekends at 9
Fab 5 Nationwide
Unlimited Data
Call Display / Voicemail
Unlimited text and picture messaging
Plus I save $50% on their plans where I work, with the exception of their System Access Fee for their old plans. After taxes and everything I pay $64.63 a month.
How do I get on this $64.63 a month deal? :)
I've got the Fab 5 / Couple plan with the wife... she gets the short end of the stick..
350 talk min/500mb of data - we had to pay for the pic/vid messages though :(
Hehe... same here! EPP's ftw! I wonder if tethering is part of that Unlimited Data though.
uhm bell is pretty and all with it's newfound tethering, but can I haz pre2 + sans homebutton + option to tetherrrrrrr + sprint? I'm sick of VzW having the latest Palm hardware, and putting it aside to flaunt the hideous open source OS of the droid -___- it's not ALL that you know..
I used a whopping 50mb last month out of my 500. I'm always connected to my wifi. Going to cancel my data soon and only use wifi. If I need internet when I'm out then I will drive to a wifi hot spot.
I used a whopping 50mb last month out of my 500. I'm always connected to my wifi. Going to cancel my data soon and only use wifi. If I need internet when I'm out then I will drive to a wifi hot spot.
Use the paid app to tether a Bell phone? Great! Oh yeah, no paid apps for Bell ......
-mthillis..... Lol.. Yea no paid apps yet.. Lets hope soon...
my plan include unlimited data, 200 min,Fab 10 and a few other add-on for like $60 ... When we get Flash, unlimited data will be handy...
If we have one of the older plans that had unlimited data, would we still be allowed to tether or is it only on these new plans? I assume not but was curious if anyone knew.
been using my tether on bell for awhile now ....works perfect!
beauty eh!
Although the main page specifically states that "tethering" is included in the plan, the legalese still says "(11)...Excludes Mobile Connect and tethering with your device."
I'm guessing that this was an oversight by legal. Regardless, however, the main description of the plan is so clear that it would override the legalese given that it is entirely inconsistent with the plan's description.
This is certainly a first for Bell. I wonder if this means Mobile Hot Spot is going to be a standard app for all Bell Mobility Pre's with the next update. And maybe we'll even get official support for the TeleNav app.
I'm still using both with 1.4 but certainly not "officially".
I hope tething comes to sprint. Hey check out youtube type in palm c40 I saw a pic of it or a fake anyways it's cool CHECK IT OUT!!!!
100% fake
youtube (palmC40) check it out let me kno wut you think
I am with Bell Canada. Just tried to ththering using bluetooth, not working. A message poped up saying sth like it is not allowed by your provider, please contact Bell.
I for one am furious with this. I have no need for tethering seeing as how I have a far better speeds with the Internet for my PC. I did however have the unlimited bandwidth plan for my phone for Shoutcast radio. The fact that they've removed the unlimited plan and increased the prices is disgusting.
I'm on Smartphone Combo 50 with Bell as well and I have a similar problem. After enabling Wifi Hotspot Tethering it would say it is not allowed by Bell even if it clearly says in their website that my plan comes with tethering. Tech Support was not much help as well. Anyone has a way to solve this problem?