Why can't I tether with my Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plan?

@wdsteve

really.

I have 6 phones and 2 tablets sharing 30 GBs of data for $240.

ATT is offering  6 phones and 2 tablets a total of 176 GB of high speed data and unlimited reprioritized data after they use the first 22 GBs for $280 a month.

For data burners, this is a great deal.

Other people are paying $100 a month for 15GB so unlimited (22GB throttle limit, rarely in effect unless you're in a high population density area with busy towers for $35 a month isn't a good deal?

People think prices from 2008 should perpetually remain the same in an industry where costs to maintain a network, deploy that network and purchasing frequency and spectrum is expensive as can be. Carriers could eliminate unlimited entirely if they wanted, no one is under a contract for this plan. Contracts now are for hardware, not older plans. I'd say a 5 dollar increase is barely a drop in the bucket.

Tethering was never offered on these plans for individual users. Enterprise and corporate plans don't really count here because we're talking about unlimied for IRU accounts. It has never been available for these plans, ever.

Tethering has never been an option on unlimited data so this idea they're not taking care of customers is a bit off base. On older grandfathered plans, it was not offered. The new plan continues the terms of that plan. It's never been available.

The data is for the device only. Plain and simple. Sharing that data with another device adds a seat to a table that is only for one chair. You're free to use as much as you'd like on the device (subject to the priority terms for network congestion). People seem to not grasp what point of demarcation in relation to mobile data is all about. Because tethering means the end point is not the device but a further point of demarc. That's not how it is intended to work.

I finally caved.  It's only been a week, but I think I'm happy about it...  

I switched to a Mobile Share plan so that I could tether and the other lines could share the larger bucket of data (one of my three lines only had 200MB and went over 2-3 times a year).  

Since it sounds like AT&T is done with the subsidized plans (no new ones any more, right?) it seemed like I'd be losing it anyways when mine ran out it 2018 anyways (plus it wasn't fullfilling my needs)

Now I can tether!  Plus, I've got rollover so if I'm under one month, I can go crazy the next...

No one tethers unlimited data plans. Never have to my knowledge... AT&T has always been up front on that.

Because grandfathered data plans have never been able to tether...

Wrong.  They have to honor the unlimited data plan because they said they would when you signed up.  But they can give you a lot of postive and negative incentives to move to a capped plan (price of your plan, throttling, more attractive options like tethering, etc.  

@MANCAVE001

The AT&T unlimited plan NEVER included tethering.   

AT&T has honored its grandfathered plans because they choose to.  No where in your terms of service does any carrier have to honor the plan you signed up with.  Start looking for it, you won't find it.  

https://www.att.com/legal/terms.wirelessCustomerAgreement-list.html

 I am now "grandfathered" on the Mobile Share plan.

There are rules we have to follow to keep the plans. The carrier does NOT have to allow us to keep them, as many Verizon customers are finding out.  

Verizon is on step 3 of a multi step plan to get rid of the unlimited data abusers.  They informed customers that if they use more than 100 gigs a month, they would be terminating their plan.  Verizon made the mistake of allowing a $30 tethering add on to the unlimited plan when it was 3G speed.  Since then Verizon has been prohibited from throttling or reprioritising high data users to manage its network. 

Verizon can't throttle, but they can terminate service.   It's an option that ATT has used and would again if customers abuse the plan.   ATT sent out a bunch of warning letter over a year ago, warning suspected tetherers they would lose their plan.  

The original contract and the data plan that came with it, expired 2 years after you signed up with ATT.  Once the first 2 year contract is complete, all customers are month to month.  

The purchase of a new phone is not a plan contract.  A new phone purchase is simply an agreement for a discounted phone, in exchange for a required 2 years of service.  The plan can be changed at any time as long as service is 2 years long.  

ATT ended contract phone sales in January 2016  This will also end the delusion that a customer is "under a contract" for a service/data plan.