US Carriers Block Android Wi-Fi Tethering Apps on Market

A bit of bad news for Android users is breaking. It seems that US carriers are quite upset with FroYo (+) versions of the OS bringing in Wi-Fi hotspot support for mobile devices and in turn all the developers who have designed third party wares for the same purpose. As you can understand this does create an issue for carriers as it reduces the number of customers.

What a dissapointment

All one would need is a singular mobile 3G connection for an Android phone and you could create a Wi-Fi hotspot for your tablets, laptops etc. This way you could avoid the added expense of getting a secondary SIM for additional Wi-Fi enabled devices you own. US carriers have decided this practice had to end. Doid-life.com has reported that third party tethering apps that were easily available off the Android Market were now blocked by carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T. Users will get errors indicating that the app is not supported by their carrier.

What worries me is that 3G has only just made it’s debut into the Indian spectrum and if such a ban crops up on this side of the pond too, it’s going to get really difficult. With 3G prices being as high as they are at the moment, opting for separate tethering plans or separate 3G SIMs/numbers is going to take a toll on our bank accounts.

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We’re ok… for now

I did look around for a couple of tethering options and as of now, there are no restrictions. Let’s hope it lasts.