SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone denied 3G support

AT&T is defending a network policy that prompted content placeshifting technology developer Sling Media to remove 3G access from the iPhone edition of its SlingPlayer Mobile video application, with the operator arguing the app would consume too much network capacity--and, curiously enough, contending that the iPhone is a personal computer, not a phone. SlingPlayer for iPhone, which enables users to stream live and recorded television content from their home entertainment system to their mobile device, launched Tuesday with a whopping App Store price of $29.99--in order to earn approval for the app, Sling Media was forced to disable 3G streaming capabilities, meaning iPhone users can only view content over WiFi. (In a statement, AT&T notes that iPhone 3G subscribers can access free WiFi service at more than 20,000 carrier-owned and operated U.S. hotspots, including Starbucks, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, hotels and airports.)

According to AT&T, apps like SlingPlayer pose too much of a bandwidth threat to operate over 3G: "Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network," the operator said. "Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service."

But here's where it gets really interesting: AT&T apparently does not consider the iPhone a phone... even though it's called the iPhone. "We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs," AT&T contends. "We don't restrict users from going to a website that lets them view videos. But what our terms and conditions prohibit is the transferring, or slinging, of a TV signal to their personal computer or smartphone."

For more on the SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone controversy:
- read this Engadget Mobile article

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