AT&T To Kick Jailbroken Tetherers Off Unlimited Data

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Remember how you got grandfathered in with your unlimited data when AT&T went tiered? Well, if you’re the type to jailbreak and tether, it looks like AT&T might be involuntarily forcing you to off your plan. href="http://9to5mac.com/2011/08/04/jailbreak-hotspot-ers-august-11th-att-will-move-you-to-a-tiered-data-plan-involuntarily">9to5Mac is reporting that after August 11th, if you have a grandfathered unlimited data plan and are using it with a non-AT&T (read: jailbroken) tethering setup, AT&T will automatically force you into their tiered data instead. A reader wrote them and said:

I was just informed that as of Thursday August 11th 2011, if you use MyWi or any tethering on the phone or using the phone as a modem, AT&T will automatically change ur unlimited plan to a 2Gb tethering plan for 45 dollars without the customers consent. This is for those who received emails or texts about the use of tethering without an AT&T tethering plan.

AT&T has confirmed this is happening, and will send out official notification shortly.

This sort of thing I find incredibly frustrating. If you payed for unlimited data, why does AT&T care if it comes directly from your phone, or from your computer via your phone? It’s still excruciatingly slow regardless, and it doesn’t suck down data any faster because you’re tethered.

What do our readers think? Is this a fair move by AT&T, or abusive to their customers?