It started with an interview last year with AT&T's Ralph de la Vega. At the Web 2.0 Summit, de la Vega was asked about tethering on the iPhone. While App Advice editor Robin Rhys was careful enough to report that "no time frame, or price rates were discussed in the interview," other websites misinterpreted de la Vega's remarks. When CNET reported on the interview, in November of 2008, they said that iPhone tethering would be available at some point next year. The only time frame de la Vega gave was "soon."
As other articles cited the CNET report, an AT&T spokesman sent an email to one Mac related website asking them to correct a news post that claimed the wireless company promised tethering by the end of 2009. The spokesman's email said:
"Just reading again – where did anyone promise tethering by EOY? Where did you see that?"
Without making any assumptions, this statement seems to imply that there will be no iPhone tethering service this year.
Of course this doesn't restrict iPhone tethering, a jailbroken iPhone is fortunate enough to have access to pdaNET.
You may even be able to tether your iPhone - if you have an older device - to your computer without jailbreaking, if you are running an early version of OS 3.0.
