T-Mobile and Google Don’t Play Nice, Hate to be Tethered

• Tyler Miller
• 16 years ago

It seems that the guys holding the ban stick over at Google’s Market HQ have exercised their firm back swing on applications that allow an Android device to be used as a tether, which gives other devices access to the internet through it. The first victim would be the Wifi Tether for Root Users. It seems that when you combine a pinch of the Developer Distribution Agreement and a dash of the T-Mobile Terms of Service what you have is a recipe that reserves the right to remove any application that allows for tethering.

According to the T-Mobile TOS:

“Your Data Plan is intended for Web browsing, messaging, and similar activities on your device and not on any other equipment. Unless explicitly permitted by your Data Plan, other uses, including for example, tethering your device to a personal computer or other hardware, are not permitted.”

It seems as if the G1 falls under the category of “no tether”.

With new Android powered phones brought to us through other carriers on the horizon, you have to wonder what Google’s response is going to be to applications, available in the future, that don’t agree with one carrier’s TOS but agree with that of others.

[via FalseDichotomies]