Reports this week started swirling (once again) that AT&T is finally set to announce tethering for the iPhone. This comes after Apple released the latest beta build of its iPhone 4.0 software; buried in the software is the option to set up Internet tethering with AT&T via phone or Web.

Tethering would allow you to link a mobile phone such as the iPhone to a desktop or laptop, and to use the mobile device as a modem -- anywhere, anytime Internet access via the pervasive cellular network. But don't get too excited.

Mark Seigel, a spokesperson for AT&T, told me that tethering "is one of the options that we're considering, but we're not ready to announce anything yet." Seigel went on to say that speed and reliability of the network has always been the company's main concern, and providing the best possible customer experience is the top priority.

When I asked him about a tethering announcement to coincide with the release of the new iPhone in early June, Seigel just laughed. "What iPhone announcement?" he asked.

This isn't the first time that we've been teased with the promise of tethering by AT&T, of course. Last year, tethering was built into the iPhone 3.0 operating system as well, and AT&T never turned on the faucet due to network concerns.

Recently AT&T spent millions of dollars upgrading its network across the country, fixing dead zones and boasting greater reliability. One way to prove that is by finally letting us get our mits on tethering for the iPhone.