I wonder if further collaboration is forthcoming between Apple and Cingular regarding Cingular's ALLOVER Network?

As a factory option, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sony laptops come equippped with Cingular's BroadBandConnect (EDGE/GPRS/GSM). No external EDGE ExpressCard/34 card is needed.

I guess that wouldn't necessarily lock us into AT&T's service - it would just be a convenience.

I wonder how expensive that ALLOVER service is, compared to other mobile services?

The first step would be for Apple to get the iPhone on Cingular's 3G network (BroadbandConnect) as soon as possible either by ship or with a software update shortly there after. Otherwise the data portion of the iPhone will be a joke/sloooow when not on a wi-fi connection.

After that then I'd love to see it so that you could use the iPhone as a high-speed modem wirelessly with the Mac.

Then they should start offering 3G support built-in as a CTO option and offer Cingular's Broadband and Verizon's EVDO as a choice.

From the Cingular site:

BroadbandConnect
BroadbandConnect is Cingular's 3G network operating on GSMTM, the worldwide standard for wide-area wireless communication. The first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), BroadbandConnect is the only 3G technology which natively supports simultaneous voice and data. BroadbandConnect provides:

Average downlink data speeds of 400 to 700 kilobits per second-download a 4MB file in under a minute.
More secure than Wi-Fi, utilizing SIM cards and encryption features to keep data transmissions safe.
Low latency for improved performance.
BroadbandConnect, along with our national EDGE network, provides the optimum combination of speed and coverage.
We're deploying BroadbandConnect in most major metropolitan areas in the U.S. In areas where BroadbandConnect is not yet available, stay connected with our EDGE network, covering more than 250 million people in over 13,000 cities and towns and along nearly 40,000 miles of highways.