Comments on: FCC: Verizon must allow tethering apps

By: donovan acree

donovan acree — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:15:00 +0000

So the treasury gets the settlement. What about those people who had been paying the fee? Why don’t they see compensation, bill credit, … something? Was it the treasury who was harmed by the wrongful charge for a service they agreed not to charge for?

By: Matthew Jones

Matthew Jones — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:18:00 +0000

Many higginbothams died to bring us this information.

By: Matthew Cunningham

Matthew Cunningham — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:07:00 +0000

I am sure that the only change that we are likely to see is a new class of “Open Access” phones to satisfy the FCC requirements which will of course cost the full $700 price tag.

By: Palomino

Palomino — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:42:00 +0000

Apologies, my post should have been a reply to yours.

By: Palomino

Palomino — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:40:00 +0000

My Sprint purchased phone has specific instructions on how to tether. Tethering was also in their advertisement for the phone.

What’s more strange, I COULD tether while I was still in my 30 day satisfaction guarantee window. On the 32 day my phone updated, and I couldn’t tether. I’ve tried downloading apps, rooting the phone too, no go.

Why doesn’t my internet service provider SUE my cellular provider? Why is this a one way street? Why is Sprint forcing me to use my Centurylink account but I can’t use my Sprint phone as a modem?

By: Glizbane

Glizbane — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Actually, Verizon has blocked all non authorized tethering for a while now, even those that required root access.

By: show me

show me — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:25:00 +0000

I wonder if this will apply to Sprint, too, since they also require a $20/month extra fee to tether.

By: Cori Frazer-Hopkinson

Cori Frazer-Hopkinson — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:16:00 +0000

You’ve been able to download at least one free mobile hotspot app for at least a few months now. FoxFi shows up in my Play Store (and I’m a Verizon user). Even if it didn’t, you could always tether without additional fees, although prior to ICS you had to use an app from the Play Store. (this is all without rooting, by the way)

By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus

fuzzyfuzzyfungus — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:10:00 +0000

So, Big Red paid 1.25 million as part of their voluntary settlement of their clear violation of the terms of the block C spectrum auction…

At $20/month, that is only 62,500 subscriber-months worth of penalty. FCC Auction 73 occurred in early 2008… http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auction_factsheet&id=73

I’m starting to get this strange sense that Verizon just got a wink and a gentle caress on the wrist here…

By: perch

perch — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:05:00 +0000

you’ve always been able to tether, you just had to root your phone first.

when are we going to get unlocked bootloaders on all phones?

By: schadenfreudisch

schadenfreudisch — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:43:00 +0000

thank goodness. it was one of the things i hated about my verizon service.

By: tiredofit

tiredofit — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:42:00 +0000

Could I get a refund, please?