Telstra, Vodafone switch on iPad Personal Hotspot

Telstra and Vodafone have released carrier setting updates to iPad owners, enabling the Personal Hotspot feature on the new iPad, and allowing users to share the data available through the SIM card with other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Australia's other major telco, Optus, has yet to release a similar update for its customers. A spokesperson for Optus confirmed that the hotspot feature is still disabled on the network, but said that the telco "continue[s] to review the needs of our customers and [is] committed to remaining competitive in the marketplace, so may look to enable [the feature] in the future".

Telstra and Vodafone customers will receive an invitation to update the carrier settings, automatically. Vodafone customers who have difficulty creating an ad hoc network using the feature can refer to the Vodafone blog for a guide to updating the settings on their tablet.

Apple's latest iPad model was released in March this year, and though Apple made reference to the Personal Hotspot feature in its keynote presentation, the ability to share data was missing when the tablet hit Australian shores.