AT&T Confirms Tethering for iPhone in 2009

AT&T Mobility chief Ralph de la Vega confirmed on Thursday that iPhone 3G users will be able to use their phones as wireless modems at some point next year.

According to CNET, during a conversation with TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington at the Web 2.0 Summit on Thursday, de la Vega spilled the beans . “Tethering”  or  using the iPhone’s mobile data connection to get online has been long desired  by iPhone users. They were hopinfg to see this feature along with the 3Gs.For some reaon or another, AT&T was not up for providing tetheringat that time. This was perhaps due to  a fear of having an overloaded network with all of the iPhone population. Although  they now seem to be in favor of this service the only inkling of when it will be available is “sometime in 2009”.

Last month, Steve Jobs supposedly sent an e-mail to a Gizmodo reader saying Apple and AT&T were working on a tethering plan for the iPhone. But for a brief period this year, a company called NullRiver software sold an application called NetShare that let iPhone users tether their laptops to their phones. Apple pulled the application from the App Store, despite the fact that other carriers selling the iPhone around the world permit tethering and the developer’s claim that NetShare did not violate any terms and conditions of the developer program.

Let’s all hope tethering will be announced sooner rather than later.