The beta 2 release of iPhone 3.1, seeded to developers on Tuesday night, also appears to undo tethering workarounds for AT&T subscribers, reports say. Through tethering users can turn an iPhone into a modem, providing Internet access where no landline connections exist. AT&T has only promised official tethering for later this summer however, which will also likely come at extra expense.

Tethering is an integral feature of iPhone 3.0, and already officially supported in a number of countries, such as Canada. Hacks were quickly developed to enable the option for non-supporting regions and carriers. The hacking process poses risks however, mainly in the form of carrier contracts, which can impose severe penalties on subscribers using unauthorized devices or connection methods.