Woo-hoo! FCC delcares tethering legal with no fee (Verizon)

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/31...tethering/

"Thanks to a government investigation, a large number of Verizon Wireless customers will be able to download apps that share a smartphone’s Internet connection with other devices, a feature known as tethering. And they won’t have to pay monthly fees to the carrier for the privilege."

It looks like the FCC is allowing Verizon to charge for unlimited plan users but you could still tell them to chuff it because of http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-ti...c27-16.xml

"Technical Standards:
(1) Standards shall include technical requirements reasonably necessary for third parties to access a licensee's network via devices or applications without causing objectionable interference to other spectrum users or jeopardizing network security. The potential for excessive bandwidth demand alone shall not constitute grounds for denying, limiting or restricting access to the network."

I've not ever used tethering, but I'm glad to know that I wouldn't get charged if I did. Well, my phone is rooted and can therefore tether for free prior to this ruling anyhow (i think).

It is a shame about Verizon muscling people out of their unlimited plans. I'll be forced out next upgrade because I don't want to pay ~$300-400 for a phone, which would probably used as well.

I was thinking that this now applies to Android version of XBMC. "In my spare time" (bwahahahhaha) I'm going to try a build for my wife's Acer Iconia tablet. Then if that works, she could tether her phone to the tablet and have streaming anywhere. I think that would work best in places like the airport where she wouldn't have to pay for wi-fi and she could watch whatever she wants, live or recorded.