One can only imagine the intense outpouring of hatred AT&T must have received from customers immediately following the announcement that the iPhone SlingPlayer will be not be able to stream video using AT&T's data network. While it hasn't exactly been declared by anyone that AT&T is to blame for the apparent lack of 3G support, they are the only one with something to gain by a Wi-Fi only SlingPlayer. It doesn't take much to come to this conclusion.

Our friends at Engadget have managed to squeeze a statement out of AT&T regarding the 3G blackout:

"Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network. The application does not run on our 3G wireless network. Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service. We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs.

That said, we don't restrict users from going to a Web site 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.

The Slingbox application for the iPhone runs on WiFi. That's good news for AT&T's iPhone 3G customers, who get free WiFi access at our 20,000 owned and operated hot spots in the U.S., including Starbucks, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, hotels, and airports. AT&T is the industry leader in WiFi."

We're not surprised AT&T went straight to their Terms of Service as defense. We were highly suspect when they initially changed their lingo to outright ban placeshifting from their network. Sure, they "retracted it," but then added back a more generic version of their placeshifting restriction that (we thought) seemed intentionally vague. The reality: a lawyer told them a 'personal computer' could be interpreted as any mobile device with computing functions (that's all of them by the way). Why look bad by saying placeshifting is outright banned when you can look less bad by tossing out a BS generic line that's open to interpretation? Better yet, without clarity in their definition, they can enforce it with zero consistency.  

We highly recommend reading Engadget's comments on the statement as well, which we're also inclined to agree with.

What do you think of AT&T's statement? Post your comments below.

[Via Engadget]

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