iPhone to become laptop modem

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 7 Nov 2008 at 14:01

US iPhone owners will soon be able to use their handset as a tethered modem for their laptops.

A spokesman for the iPhone's exclusive US network, AT&T, said his company is developing the application in conjunction with Apple.

The network currently offers the facility to US BlackBerry owners for an extra $30 per month.

Apple has been fighting a running battle with unofficial iPhone apps that convert the device into a laptop modem. Nullriver's NetShare was pulled from the official iPhone App Store for offering such a facility.

UK iPhone users can only wait and hope that O2 follows suit. O2 offers "unlimited data" with its iPhone contracts but it's terms and conditions prohibit using the device as a modem.

"Your O2 tariff for iPhone allows you unlimited use of Telefónica O2 UK Limited's Edge / GPRS networks and The Cloud's UK Wireless LAN network, for personal internet use, email and Visual Voicemail (VVM) on your iPhone only," its conditions state.

Apple is now the world's second biggest smartphone supplier having recently overtaken BlackBerry maker, RIM.