Is anyone tethering an HTC EVO 4G on Sprint?

Greetings,

I live in a rural area where I can't get good internet service except from satellite and cell data network. I've been using a phone on the Verizon network for my internet access. My phone is tethered to my PC with a USB cable and I pay an extra $30/mnth for Verizon's "mobile connect" service which provides up to 5 GB of bandwidth/month.

I've outgrown my phone and need to move up to a smartphone. Unfortunately, Verizon will not allow me to continue my 5 GB/mnth "mobile connect" plan if I move to a Motorola smartphone (I like the Motorola phones the best). If they did, then I would have purchased a Motorola Droid X. Verizon tells me that the only service they offer for connecting a PC to the internet with any of the Motorola Droids is with their WiFi "hotspot" plan which has a 2 GB limit. They say that they do not allow tethered internet access like I want with a Motorola Droid phone even though the phone is capable of doing it (with an appropriate modem app). This creates a problem for me. Besides, I prefer to tether with a USB cable because it is faster, more reliable and more secure than a WifFi connection (even if the connection is encrypted).

So I contacted Sprint to inquire about their HTC EVO 4G (since it is similar to a Droid X) and to see what they charge for tethering and what their bandwidth limits are. The answer surprised me. They said that they offer no "tethering plan". All they offer is a "hotspot" plan similar to Verizon. I asked what would happen if I installed a modem app and tethered an EVO 4G and they said that it would be okay. The saleman said this would be included in the "unlimited data" provision of the phone's plan.

Is this true? Are any of you tethering an EVO 4G to a PC and consuming 1-5 GB per month over the Sprint network without trouble? If this is allowed, then this would be the answer to my situation---and it would be a much cheaper solution than Verizon.

Thanks.

Kind regards, WiredNot

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It appears that the HTC EVO 4g Hot spot plan is $29.00 per month on top of the Unlimited data plan.
try it for 30 days and canx if you dont like it.
But first try Youtube for more info on HTC EVO 4g tethering!!!

First of all, check the Sprint 4g coverage map to make sure it's available in your area. As far tethering process and billing is concerned, its not different to a 4g vs a 3g device (besides the data speed). Both are not legally supported by the carrier and may require rooting the phone.

I have tethered my phone in the past and have consumed over 3 gb with no issues (vacations in Florida and Vegas etc). I have seen users posting their bills on sprint_community forum with usage as much as 50gb in a month (I'm sure the kid must have been downloading a lot of bit torrents) with no extra charge.

Technically, Sprint or any carrier couldn't charge you for any extra fees as you are getting unlimited internet plan (10$ extra for 4g). As far they don't announce a bandwidth cap, you shouldn't have any issues.

What is your estimate for an average monthly data consumption btw ?

Greetings,

I appreciate the replies. Unfortunately, neither were helpful and the last one by bknight555 contained incorrect information.

bknight555: I found the answer in the Sprint contract, itself. There is a section that lists the things that the user is NOT allowed to do under the terms of the "Everything Data" contract. It forbids connecting the phone to a computer so the computer can access the internet through the Sprint data network UNLESS the contract expressly approves it (which the "Everything Data" contract does not). Sprint, like Verizon, requires a separate plan for connecting a smartphone to a computer in order to provide internet access to the computer regardless of the connection method (hardwired USB or wireless WiFi or Bluetooth). The "unlimited" internet access provided in the plan is ONLY for the phone, itself. As soon as you share that internet connection with another device, you are violating their contract UNLESS you have a separate contract that allows it (such as their "Hotspot" plan for a WiFi connection to the computer). The Sprint salesman I spoke with was either ignorant or he was being deceptive.

As for other people doing it anyway, the fact that some have gotten away with it does not make it legal. It is not. Read your Sprint contract if you doubt this. Either way, I seriously doubt that I will do business with Sprint since my discussions with them so far have gone so poorly, forcing me to obtain a copy of their contract and read it myself.

camstuf: Please read a little more carefully before you reply next time. You'll see in my original post that I am well aware of Sprint's hotspot plan but that it would not serve my needs. What I need is a plan that provides adequate bandwidth usage per month (a minimum of 5 GB) and allows hardwired tethering through USB. The latter has nothing to do with enabling the WiFi hotspot feature of the phone. As far as I know, Sprint may not care how you connect a smartphone to a computer as long as you pay for it. But most hotspot plans have a 2 GB bandwidth limit which is too low for my needs.

Finally, it is disgusting that the wireless phone carries make their contracts and plans so complicated and use deceptive labels like "unlimited" when they are far from it. If Virgin Mobile had decent phones, then I'd hop on the Sprint network through their backdoor. But, alas, that's undoubtedly why Virgin Mobile doesn't have top-notch phones---Sprint wouldn't allow them to piggyback on their network if they did.

Regards, WiredNot