AT&T yesterday announced that it will offer its first Mobile Hotspot App, which will be available Feb. 13. The app will initially launch with the HTC Inspire 4G and will come bundled with the AT&T Data Pro plan, which offers customers a total of 4GB for $45 per month.
The one catch is the plan is available for "select handsets," and at least initially, iPhone users will be left out in the cold.
"We are working to bring it to the iPhone, but no others details to share at this time," said an AT&T spokesman.
AT&T also says it will offer an additional 2GB of monthly data usage at no extra charge to smartphone customers who are already on a tethering plan. Tethering is similar to the mobile hot spot capability but is limited to connecting only one device.
The announcement comes as AT&T has had its hands full trying to keep up with what Verizon Wireless will be offering with its version of the iPhone 4. Verizon already has announced that it will offer unlimited plans and mobile hot spot functionality with its version of Apple's iconic device, and AT&T is feeling the heat to compete or lose a bevy of its highest ARPU customers.
There have been rumors lately that AT&T is reinstating unlimited data plans to those iPhone users who lost them when the carrier discontinued the service. AT&T responded with a statement saying it deals with customer's needs on an individual basis.