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Saturday, April 2nd, 2016 9:22 PM

Unlimited Data plan and Mobile Hotspot?

Does the new unlimited data plan not allow you to use your phone as a hotspot?.

Master

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago


@Gary L wrote:

@David606 They do allow tethering on unlimited plans with automobile hotspots, right?


@Gary LYep, I've often wonderd about this, it's another one of those "we made a special agreement with someone" deals, like Apple WiFi calling on unbranded phones.

 

I wonder why tethering is totally okay, if you have one of these specific auto hotspots, they're just fine with you streaming movies or whatever in the car, eh?

 

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

@pgrey What do you mean by "Apple WiFi calling on unbranded phones"?

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

8 years ago


@Gary L wrote:

@pgrey What do you mean by "Apple WiFi calling on unbranded phones"?


iPhone is essential not branded, other than "Apple". No boot animation either.  Wifi calling worked just fine on the Verizon/CDMA version of the iPhone 6 Plus I owned last year. 

Because it is one iOS, without variations like Android, it's pretty easy for all iPhones to be accommodated. 

Master

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago


@Gary L wrote:

@pgrey What do you mean by "Apple WiFi calling on unbranded phones"?


Sorry, bad phrasing, I meant "WiFi calling on unbranded Apple phones".  In other words, you can purchase an unbranded/unlocked iOS phone, and set it up for this.  
In ALL other cases (platforms), VoLTE and WiFi calling/texting are limited to branded devices, that AT&T has sold (the big "hitch" there).

It's not for any technical reason, even though there might be claims to this (I challenge anyone to post a technical document that shows it).

This is my one, big issue with AT&T, be-it-as-it-may, otherwise I tend to think they're a pretty good carrier.  I hope that in the future, the market helps to "correct" this.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

@pgrey Are you saying it works on all (most) carriers if unbranded or it does not work?   

Master

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago


@lizdance40 wrote:

@Gary L wrote:

@pgrey What do you mean by "Apple WiFi calling on unbranded phones"?


iPhone is essential not branded, other than "Apple". No boot animation either.  Wifi calling worked just fine on the Verizon/CDMA version of the iPhone 6 Plus I owned last year. 

Because it is one iOS, without variations like Android, it's pretty easy for all iPhones to be accommodated. 


This is true, but the part of the OS, on the other phones (Andriod, Windows) that is used by WiFi calling constructs and code paths, are unaltered, by any OEM changes.  Trust me, no one goes and reinvents IPSec or basic packet handshakes, in an OEM implmenetation.

AT&T could very easily enable this on many, many phones with built-in features, tomorrow, if they chose to, just like they enabled it on iOS.

They won't, because there's not a giant, unified company, like Apple, putting the pressure on them.

I think that eventually, most of these features will "fall out", much like VVM, and MMS, many of which were "semi-custom" at one point or another.  It's just tough, when you know you're paying for a feature, and it's disabled "just because".  

Clearly I'm going way off the philosophical end here, please excuse my rant...

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

8 years ago

Re: connected cars have the same limits as tablets.  

https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/unlimited-plan.html

 

ATT is being held to a different standard than Sprint and T mo with respect to wifi calling.  Why?

ATT would like at least that answered.  I beleive the FCC is trying to level the field, which is not its job.

FCC hit everyone for cramming.  Everyone has been hit for privacy issues at one time or other.  Verizon got his for a different tethering issue.

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

@lizdance40 From the Unlimited Data page you linked to:

"CONNECTED CAR HOTSPOT: Devices connected to your car’s hotspot via Wi-Fi use your plan data."

 

Screen Shot 2016-07-24 at 6.59.30 PM.png

 

 What are you doing with unlimited data in a car if you aren't tethering?

Screen Shot 2016-07-24 at 7.05.14 PM.png

 Screen Shot 2016-07-24 at 7.06.19 PM.png

 

3 Attachments

Master

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago


@Gary L wrote:

@pgrey Are you saying it works on all (most) carriers if unbranded or it does not work?   


It works, 100%, if you have the latest iOS and all.  Not branded or necessarily sold by AT&T, but an Apple product.

A good comparison would be the Nexus 5X and 6P, which could easily be enabled, tomorrow, by AT&T, and you can bet Google tested the crud out of their WiFi calling on it, given that that's how project Fi runs, mostly.

A perfect example of about as "pure" an implmenentation you can get, yet no provisioning, just because.  @GLIMMERMAN76 and I have discussed before too, I think he's equally frustrated, but less overall vocal.

Even if you take a random Android phone, say the S5, I would be anything that you could trace the codepaths for their IPSec and other WiFi calling constructs, and they're exactly the same, as another "plain vanilla or pure" implementation.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

8 years ago

@pgrey Never say 100% (especially on the internet!)...

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