AT&T finally greenlights the SlingPlayer for 3G streaming on the iPhone

iPhone owners were understandably irritated last spring when AT&T hobbled 3G streaming for the $30 SlingPlayer video streaming app due to bandwidth usage concerns. Needless to say, the carrier was ill prepared for the success of the iPhone, and that would mean no 3G streaming and no VoIP -- functionality that could be found on many inferior smartphones.

Well, the floodgates appear to be open now that VoIP has been given the go ahead on 3G. According to the New York Times, the SlingPlayer app has also been greenlit, although modifications were necessary in order to make it safe on a network that is already stretched thin. AT&T has been testing a bandwidth-optimized version since the latter part of last year.

If you are unfamiliar with the service, the SlingPlayer app for the iPhone works with the SlingBox line of set top streaming boxes. Users can access and control live or recorded television from their TVs for playback on mobile devices. Up until now, the service was only available over Wi-Fi on the iPhone -- a major drawback for an app that costs $30 on top of the $200-$300 charge for the SlingBox itself.

Fortunately, the 3G upgrade will not affect the price of the app, so it will be free for current users when it emerges from the other side of the App Store approval process. Chances are, you won't have to wait long.