FCC tells Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps

victek · Aug 1, 2012

euph_22 said:
And yes, I'm absolutely certain Verizon is pushing articles on how they violated FCC rules to restrict consumer access to apps/services. That would definitely help them sell phone service.

I love a little sarcasm with my morning coffee, thanks!

euph_22 said:
Prior to the shared data plans and this ruling, Verizon's policy stated that you can't tether without a) paying for tethering service and b) using their tethering app.

This decision eliminates b), but a) is still around. Verizon also made tethering free on the shared data plans, but it's not free for other users and has nothing to do with this situation. The FCC lets people charge for services

I installed Easy Tether yesterday because I'm a nerd and I need to know how and if things work (it did). I have almost no use for tethering, but in the rare circumstance where I don't have access to cafe,restaurant, or customer WiFi and don't feel like using my little phone screen I might want to use it. I do have unlimited data though and it would be nice to know if I'll be breaking the rules. At this point it sounds like I might be, but it would be helpful for Verizon to weigh in. For what it's worth Easy Tether is available again in the Market and there are no qualifications or disclaimers. Since it works is this the "honor system" at this point?

gruss · Aug 1, 2012

@victek: If you want to live by the letter of the law, and your profile is correct this ruling does not apply to you. It only applies to the c-block 700mhz band vzw is using for 4g. Inc 2 was 3 g iirc so does not use that particular band.

The only thing I can find is that VZW agreed to let its customers use any app they wanted as a stipulation to buying spectrum in that block. There were no "unless you don't like that customer's plan" clause in it.
So does verizon have the right to charge me to use their tether app, yes. Can vzw charge me to tether over evdo? yes, can they tell me not to use some other tether app on 4G, FCC has just ruled NO from what I can find/understand. If someone has something besides articles published where vzw pays for advertising please send it my way, I'd love to read it.

treb1797 · Aug 1, 2012

Verizon: No free tethering for unlimited data plan customers | ZDNet

This stinks !!

AntimonyER · Aug 1, 2012

treb1797 said:
Verizon: No free tethering for unlimited data plan customers | ZDNet

This stinks !!

What I find hilarious is that, the FCC fined Verizon 1.25 mil for blocking tethering apps, and Verizon responds by saying we never blocked lawful tether apps. Wow, how did that BS taste coming out of your mouth, VZW?

Rachel A · Aug 1, 2012

victek said:
I love a little sarcasm with my morning coffee, thanks!

I installed Easy Tether yesterday because I'm a nerd and I need to know how and if things work (it did). I have almost no use for tethering, but in the rare circumstance where I don't have access to cafe,restaurant, or customer WiFi and don't feel like using my little phone screen I might want to use it. I do have unlimited data though and it would be nice to know if I'll be breaking the rules. At this point it sounds like I might be, but it would be helpful for Verizon to weigh in. For what it's worth Easy Tether is available again in the Market and there are no qualifications or disclaimers. Since it works is this the "honor system" at this point?

Here's my take on this (and I'm a DBA, not a lawyer so obviously I know squat diddly).

The ruling said that VZW cannot limit tethering apps on the market that use 4G. I have an unlimited data plan (that we all know by now that Big Red starts to exercise the ability to throttle once 2GB is used on 3G). Therefore any app I have that allows tethering using 4G is OK by VZW (because the FCC told them so).

Now, if I choose to use HBO Go to watch an entire season of True Blood on my 4G connection, or if I just happen to fire up a tethering app on my phone and download 4GB of MS MSDN ISO's (and Sql Server 2012 weighs in and 3 and change - see, got my DBA aspect in here after all), then that's my choice. More fool VZW for allowing me to sign a 2 year contract with them before June 28th and grandfather my data in.

I didn't set up the rules, they did. Just because they happen to offer free tethering with the new shared plans shouldn't neglect the fact that this complaint started in the unlimited days.

rehpyc · Aug 1, 2012

The FCC's ruling was simply that VZW can't block us from using whichever application we'd like, meaning we can download and use any tether application besides their own. It does NOT state that VZW can't dictate how data is charged. VZW already had tethering under an unlimited data plan be a service, and that hasn't changed with this ruling.

TheyCallMeBT · Aug 2, 2012

I don't get what the big fuss is about for those of us on unlimited. Just use FoxFi or whatever other app (that one is best IMO), and call it a day. Just don't go crazy on how much data you use and you're good.

Edit/ fixed: It's "FoxFi" not "FoxFire". lol.

bcltoys · Aug 4, 2012

Let my Wi-Fi go: FCC rules Verizon can't charge for Wi-Fi tethering | ZDNet Whoop's already been had sorry.

you2 · Aug 5, 2012

I'm curious how does tehtering differ from hotspot or does it ?

Demache · Aug 5, 2012

There is no real difference except hotspot usually refers to tethering your PC over WiFi rather than USB.

TheyCallMeBT · Aug 5, 2012

Yeah, it's pretty much synonymous. But hotspot pretty much just means through wifi, and to potentially multiple devices. Whereas tethering could mean through wifi, or USB, or bluetooth, etc. But really, "hotspot" has also been used as a term for public wifi access at stores and restaurants like McDonald's and Starbucks. So, it's just semantics, really.

AntimonyER · Aug 6, 2012

bcltoys said:
Let my Wi-Fi go: FCC rules Verizon can't charge for Wi-Fi tethering | ZDNet Whoop's already been had sorry.

This one is a different take on it than I have seen, and not sure if the reporting is correct, because Verizon has already stated they will still charge $20 per month to unlimited data users for the hotspot feature.

Rxpert83 · Aug 6, 2012

AntimonyER said:
This one is a different take on it than I have seen, and not sure if the reporting is correct, because Verizon has already stated they will still charge $20 per month to unlimited data users for the hotspot feature.

I believe the basics of the fcc ruling was that if you are paying per data used, they can't charge you extra for hot spot. If you have unlimited, they can charge extra.

sic0048 · Aug 9, 2012

I totally understand why the FCC is allowing Verizon to charge for unlimited plans. Lets say I have a phone and a home computer and use 1gb of data from the phone and tether my computer and use an additional 15gb of data. With a tiered or shared plan, I pay for 16gb of data use. On an unlimited plan, I don't pay anything for the 15gb of data that I used on a device other than my phone. The unlimited plans are unlimited data for phone uses only Tethering other devices to the phone to share data is against the TOS.

Rachel A · Aug 9, 2012

If I normally use 2GB a month on my unlimited and then sporadically use 5GB a few times a year when I tether my tablet I really don't feel that's being unreasonable.

Running my home network through VZW? No, that is being unrealistic.

Trouble is though that VZW came up with the concept of Unlimited - not the consumer. Contract law usually states that where there is an ambiguity in a contract then the consumer (in this case) prevails.

I have no desire myself to test this out in a court of law. Big Reds lawyers would eat me up for breakfast, spit out my bones and then ask for seconds...

Just saying how I feel is all...

euph_22 · Aug 9, 2012

Rachel_Ambler said:
If I normally use 2GB a month on my unlimited and then sporadically use 5GB a few times a year when I tether my tablet I really don't feel that's being unreasonable.

Running my home network through VZW? No, that is being unrealistic.

Trouble is though that VZW came up with the concept of Unlimited - not the consumer. Contract law usually states that where there is an ambiguity in a contract then the consumer (in this case) prevails.

I have no desire myself to test this out in a court of law. Big Reds lawyers would eat me up for breakfast, spit out my bones and then ask for seconds...

Just saying how I feel is all...

There is absolutely no ambiguity in the contract. In the service agreement you signed, Verizon SPECIFICALLY forbade tethering without paying for their tethering plan on top of your data plan.

Rachel A · Aug 9, 2012

The same contract that the FCC found voided the terms and conditions of the block C spectrum?

No need to get defensive - I already stated I didn't think I stood a cat in helps chance fighting it in a court of law. Just expressing my sense of dissatisfaction is all...

dirkbonn · Aug 9, 2012

Rachel_Ambler said:
The same contract that the FCC found voided the terms and conditions of the block C spectrum?

No need to get defensive - I already stated I didn't think I stood a cat in helps chance fighting it in a court of law. Just expressing my sense of dissatisfaction is all...

But wasn't the following in the FCC ruling? (the bolding is mine)

_____________________________________

you can now download whatever third-party tethering apps you so choose on your LTE-enabled Verizon handset. As part of recent pricing changes, users on tiered data plans won

Rachel A · Aug 9, 2012

I tried to find the official final ruling online but I don't think it's been released yet. I couldn

dirkbonn · Aug 9, 2012

Rachel_Ambler said:
I tried to find the official final ruling online but I don't think it's been released yet. I couldn

Rachel A · Aug 9, 2012

Yeah, that was the only thing I found. From what I can see there may be another, fuller, document coming out later. I'd like to see that myself.

Any lawyers out there who wanna test out the waters pro-bono?

AntimonyER · Aug 9, 2012

I think I have to agree that it looks like Verizon can still charge for tethering for unlimited data customers, but they can't block tethering apps. This could end up meaning those of us on unlimited get more scrutiny on our data usage, and more after the fact tethering fees added on to our bills.

dirkbonn · Aug 10, 2012

Rachel_Ambler said:
Yeah, that was the only thing I found. From what I can see there may be another, fuller, document coming out later. I'd like to see that myself.

Any lawyers out there who wanna test out the waters pro-bono?

Pro-bono? I can't make my house payment doing work pro-bono.... :rolleyes:

It'll be interesting to where this might go. :smokingsomb:

Ok, back to my Razr HD waiting....

PS. regarding the first statement, I'm not an attorney.

FCC tells Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps

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