One of the most compelling reasons to jailbreak, or hack, your iPhone, is to run an app called MyWi that lets you share your iPhonea4‚¬a4„s mobile internet connection without paying a monthly fee to AT&'T. But now it looks like the heady days of free tethering are coming to an end.

AT&'T is now sending out notification emails to subscribers using MyWi and other unofficial tethering applications, telling them their service plans will be automatically updated to AT&'Ta4‚¬a4„s DataPro 4 gigabyte tethering plan ($45 a month) if they continue to use free tethering apps.

AT&'Ta4‚¬a4„s letter doesna4‚¬a4„t specifically mention the MyWi application, which currently costs $19.99 on the Cydia jailbroken app store, but OSX Daily has confirmed that MyWi users have received the notice.

Ia4‚¬a4„ll admit, Ia4‚¬a4„ve taken advantage of MyWi myself before AT&'T started offering official tethering support on the iPhone last year &8212' which required users to connect their iPhones by USB cable to share their connection. Up until this month, MyWi remained a good option, since it allowed iPhone owners to create wireless mobile hotspots to share their web access. With iOS 4.3, which was released last week, iPhone owners on AT&'T can finally create mobile hotspots of their own (although notably, with fewer devices than MyWi supports).

Calling all developers: We want to write up your app for VentureBeata4‚¬a4„s Mobile App Spotlight! If you have an innovative mobile app that hasna4‚¬a4„t been featured on VentureBeat yet, submit it for consideration right away. The Mobile App Spotlight is sponsored by The Intel AppUp developer program.

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Tags: Cydia, hacking, iOS, iPhone, jailbreak, mobile hotspot, MyWi, tethering

Companies: Apple, AT&'T

Tags: Cydia, hacking, iOS, iPhone, jailbreak, mobile hotspot, MyWi, tethering

Companies: Apple, AT&'T

Devindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.

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