In an about face, AT&T has approved Sling’s SlingPlayer placeshifting application for use over its 3G data network in an announcement made early this morning.
This effectively ends the saga of AT&T’s constantly shifting position on allowing such applications over its network, which began early last year when the carrier amended its terms of service banning such applications from access to its network while allowing other services such as YouTube on iPhone to operate unrestricted.
The updated application has been in testing since December and has passed AT&T’s tests for use over its 3G network with optimizations made for efficency and increased sensitivity to bandwidth changes deemed necessary by the carrier. Â There is currently no timeframe for the release of the updated SlingPlayer Mobile application, but Sling Media has confirmed that it will be free for registered users that have already purchased the Wi-Fi only version.
I refused to buy it because of the 3G restriction. Good news.
So this pretty much confirms AT&T was full of it when they claimed they were not the ones who rejected it (blaming it on Apple).