Use iPhone's FaceTime over 3G? Yes, you can

Yes, you can. Use a 3G network to connect through Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone's FaceTime video chat, that is.

Despite Apple's preference that you use a Wi-Fi network, if you hook up through the iPhone's Personal Hotspot--and have an iPhone 4 with iOS 4.3 installed, and you're chatting with another iPhone 4 user--you're all set.

As Cult of Mac points out, the iPhone's Personal Hotspot is broadcast as a Wi-Fi hotspot, the FaceTime app can't tell the difference.

When Verizon (NYSE:VZ) launched its version of the iPhone in June, it hoped to avoid a traffic deluge similar to the one AT&T's (NYSE:T) network has struggled with since it rolled out the iPhone, by limiting FaceTime calls to Wi-Fi, as AT&T Mobility does.

Apple has tried to help out the operators with the Wi-Fi limitation on FaceTime because video calling hogs bandwidth. Apple originally said it would limit FaceTime through 2010, and reopen talks with its operator partners about enabling FaceTime calls over their mobile networks. So far, nope.

Of course, you can always adapt with Skype and Fring.

For more:
- see this Cult of Mac article

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