Posted April 3, 2009 at 2:08pm by iClarified · 5666 views
AT&T's new terms of service for wireless prohibit use of app such as SlingPlayer for iPhone on their network.
PublicKnowledge.org has noticed the following changes to AT&T's terms: this means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, customer initiated redirection of television or other video or audio signals via any technology from a fixed location to a mobile device, web broadcasting, and/or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices and/or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition devices is prohibited.
Also added was the following: On the 5GB DataConnect Plan, once you exceed your 5GB allowance you will be automatically charged $0.00048 per Kb for any data used. On the 200MB Data Connect Plan, once you exceed your 200MB allowance, you will be automatically charged $10 for an additional 100MB. Unused data from either your initial allowance or any overage allowance (e.g., the 100MB) will not be carried over to the next billing period; all data allowances must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided. On other plans with a monthly megabyte or gigabyte allowance, once you exceed your allowance you will be automatically charged overage as specified in the applicable rate plan information.
This comes at the same time as another wireless carrier (T-Mobile) is telling customers they cannot use Skype for iPhone on their wifi or wireless network.
By extension this would apply to Pandora, YouTube, or the host of other iTunes store FreeRadio streaming applications out there. Silly. Completely silly, I wonder if they ran this through Apple... hello open carrier market....
Also, bear in mind you'll need a Slingbox Solo or later model to use the app, when it finally surfaces. More details here:
http://www.slingmedia.com/go/upgrade
I see no reason why the app would be completely banned from the iPhone, just from using the ATT network. However the value of the app drops considerably when you can't use the 3G network and are trapped using WiFi.
I went back to watch Sling's demo of the app. The phone is connected to a WiFi network the entire time - never using 3g? Was this the plan all along for the first version of the Sling app for iPhone?