O2 has just announced new mobile phone tariffs for new customers that will allow you use internet tethering for free for the first time.

The UK provider states that the new tariffs are simpler and easier to understand, and are in response to the increase smartphone sales.

If you an existing customer things are a little more complicated, if your upgrading to the new tariffs this is aloud according to O2, but if your downgrading you must have had the contract longer that 6 months.

It’s good news for anyone who owns a Wi-Fi iPad or iPhone, but not great if you have just shelled out on a 3G editon.

Once you have updated your contract, the data you use will come out of your basic allowance regardless of whether that is used on your handset or a Wi-Fi connected device like an iPad or laptop computer.

New data plans cost £3 for 100MB, £6 for 500MB and a tenner for 1GB and the new 12-month contracts mean iPhone users will be able to get a new Holy Handset every year rather than waiting an extra six months or paying a penalty to cash in unused months.

Are you annoyed that O2 announced these changes 3 days after the launch of the new iPad ? Let us know below.