AT&T & O2 Might Terminate Your Service if You Tether with an iPhone

There were a bunch of blog-articles yesterday describing a simple techninque to enable iPhone 3G tethering after installing the iPhone OS 3.0 upgrade. I decided not to write about it because I was concerned that this might lead to problems for people who implement the simple change and then use their iPhone 3G to provide wireless data services to their netbook or notebook.

AT&T hasn’t said anything specifically about using this technique yet. But, here’s what the Houston Chronicle’s Dwight Silverman found is happening across the Atlantic…

O2 will punish unauthorized iPhone tetherers. Et tu, AT&T?

O2 says it will either charge or disconnect people who apply and use the unauthorized tethering technique. Silverman took a look at AT&T’s existing terms and conditions language on this side of the pond and notes that AT&T states they have the right to disconnect you if you tether with a plan does not include that service.

So, as they used to say on the old Hill Street Blues TV show: Hey, be careful out there!

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