This afternoon I checked my phone and saw that Verizon was pushing out an update to the operating system. I was excited! I knew that the update would take me from Android 2.1 to version 2.2. That also meant that I would get the components to allow the phone to act as a wifi hub.
Sure enough, the phone went through its routine and downloaded all the updates. When it restarted there was a new app for a 3G hot spot and tethering. I went through the steps to set up SSID and security, but when I actually tried to run the app it told me that it would have to be activated at Verizon. Uh oh.
I logged onto Verizon’s website and found out that it would be an additional $20 per month for data tethering, above the $29 per month we were already paying for the data plan.
I was worried. I had really made use of the data tethering while out in Washington State, and I wasn’t happy that it might be going away. So, the first thing I did was fire up EasyTether on my phone, connect via USB, then run the corresponding app on my laptop. It connected, and I could still use my phone’s 3G signal to access the Internet from my laptop. I was breathing easier.
I would have liked the hot spot capability, but not at the additional cost. I can live with having to cable my phone to the laptop when I need a connection. It’s not that bad and it keeps the phone charged. I’m just hoping that Verizon doesn’t wise up to this and start cracking down on extraneous tethering. If Verizon can find some way to lock it down and charge you more for it, I’m sure they will. I really don’t want to jail break my phone if I can avoid it. We’ll see.