The Cheapest Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot Plans (Updated for 2024)

223 Comments

1. Michelle

   Great list! We travel full-time and have AT&T for our phones and Verizon for our wifi so that we are always covered. It’s pricey but it’s what works best for us and our online business.

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   • G.E. Miller

     Plus, it’s deductible!

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     • Jake

       Metro PC is by far the best when it comes to pricing.
       They have a $60 Unlimited Plan that comes with 10GB of mobile hotspot. When that runs out you can top it off for 5$ and get 2GB as many times as you want. their branched off of T-Mobile and I can’t believe how much they’ve grown over the last few years.

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       • James Willette

         Actually Boost now offers 30GB mobile hotspot in their $50 plan and a whopping 50GB in their $80 plan! I’ve been with Metro for about 10yrs but I’m considering switching to Boost now for that and a Galaxy S8 for only $350.

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         • Lora

           Thank you for this info, it is a great deal!!!

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         • Tony

           Sprint offer 100GB offer $80 and 50GB for $70

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       • PCIndustryVet

         Not even close. Mint Mobile has 10GB of 4G LTE for $38/mo. and offers the first 3 months at $25/mo. It’s actually an unlimited plan, so they don’t cut you off at the 10GB, but just throttle the speed.

         And they use T Mobile, rated #1 currently for their towers…

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       • Nick

         I know this is about the “cheapest” plans, but Verizon prepaid is $80 for 100gb. 30% more cost for 10X the data. 10gb is easy to burn through if you stream or YouTube even at low quality. 100gb takes effort to burn through but for only $20 more a month seems well worth it.

         Reply
   • Alabaster Jar

     The article has some incorrect information. iwireless, out of IA has a hotspot plan with infinite hotspot, call and text and the speed is NEVER throttled back. I use about 80 GB/month with lots of streaming video. with 3 phones on the plan its just $50/month. Everyone should switch to iwireless in my opinion.

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     • Alabaster Jar

       I should clarify, its $50/month per phone.

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       • CuriousaboutTech

         For just phones or is this an option with hotspots? My cell isn’t hotspot compatible but I am not looking for a new phone. I just want something with unlimited data as an option (not available with my carrier).

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       • Joe

         Your saying I could use my phone at home for hot spot to use on my fire stick

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     • Shawn

       Not available in all places – not available in Tallahassee FL :(

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     • J

       Just came across this article and your comment. iwireless was bought by T-Mobile https://www.t-mobile.com/customers/iowa-wireless-service

       Reply
     • elizabeth denham

       What is that company and info, please

       Reply
     • Joe

       I was an wireless customer too. 250GB a month and never throttled until tmobile bought them. Iwireless is gone and so is unlimited tethering.

       Reply
     • Dave

       I run with T-Mobil. . . . . They’re 41 dollars a month for 10 Gigs. That comes with a 20 Gig rollover plan. When all of that is used up you’re not completely dead in the water. It can still be used but severely limited. I have a long range Antenna to jump on McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. I travel the country with few problems.

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       • nusaco888

         I pay $300/year for 10 GB/month data of T-Mobil service via MintMobil. Same quality combination, but much cheaper.

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         • Blight

           Be careful, Tmobile MVNOs do not necessarily have access to the towers(maybe specific LTEBands). I cannot use Mint in my area but have excellent Tmobile service. I get no service what so ever in rural Northern Michigan using Mint. Tmobile has near perfect service in this area, even though it’s Band 12. I was sad to switch, because the Mint pricing is amazing. I saw similar issues with H20 (AT&T MVNO) here as well, forcing my phone to a legit ATT account.

           When I moved here I planned on using multiple MINT accounts to manage my heavy data usage. as even 4 mint accounts is cheaper than a single data only plan from Big4.

           Reply
     • Kimo Sutton

       Now T-Mobile

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     • Bill Moore

       Tmobile bought iwireless and shut it down.

       Reply
     • cassandra L cernetisch

       TMobil bought iwireless. iwireless no longer exist. Had it and loved it Looking for another like that, so far none.

       Reply
2. Xavier

   FreedomPop. Takes forever for the device to arrive but it’s dirt cheap (the cheapest I think) if you only need to check emails and occasional browsing.

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   • Tricia

     FreedomPop works great as long as You don’t attempt to use the Data saver. When placed on Data saver mode, the prompt disappears from the menu. Also they do NOT offer free phone service. Everything with FreedomPop is an Upcharge, except for asking questions via internet, which can take a hour or so for a response. Other than that I would rate a 3 out of 5 stars for performance.

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     • James

       Yes with freedom pop you have to be very careful. Plans and such are not clearly explained, so you have to explicate every word, and it is really easy to order things you didnt want.
       LIke they try to get you to put money aside in case you have an overage. which i fine, BUT they dont tell you that money expires in 30 days. So you put up $15 for overages, dont have any, and your $15 goes away in 30 days.
       Data saver is very tricky, you have to pay $6 a month to carry your unused data over. all kinds of stuff like this.
       But if you only need it occasionally, say a couple hours a week, or half day web browsing and email here and there – it is great. It is a little hard to keep up with your data usage too,
       If you are very careful, and read every option several times, it is a good deal.
       also be careful about switching plans, Change your plan only on the last day of current service… and it is hard to avoid autopay as well..

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       • Judith Pupek

         Can you use a Verizon jet pack device with Freedompop?

         Reply
   • Steve

     FreedomPop’s “free” plan is a classic instance of the “bait and switch” ploy. Upon downgrading to their “free plan,” I was informed that rather than 500MB of free data, I would only get 200MB of free data because “GSM hotspots can’t get 500MB of free data.” I was charged $20 for account credit (to cover overages in case my usage exceeded the 200 MB of free data) instead of $10 as was explained to me by their sales rep Allen. After about a month, I was charged $50 for “subscription credit.” When I opened an trouble ticket to protest this charge, I was met with an incomprehensible response that went (and this is verbatim from an email I received from their customer support), “We sincerely do apologize for the confusion this has caused you. Upon account review; you was charge dated 11-25-2018 7:11 PM for subscription credit that equivalent into $65 where in it apply on renewal charge however we confirmed here account has been downgraded into Freedom Basic GSM 200 (plan-free-zmp). We regret to inform you that we unable to issued refund since this charged is non refundable.” A day after I began a dispute with my credit card company, FreedomPop promptly closed my account. We’ll see if I’m able to get my money back. Bottom line – Don’t trust FreedomPop to abide by their promises for a free plan. Perhaps they’re better with customers on other plans, but I’d be very, very wary and look at alternative2.

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3. Stacy

   This is an awesome breakdown. Thank you for doing all of this research on the cheapest mobile hotspot plans. I had been thinking about doing the research myself, but you saved me the effort!

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4. Lulu

   FreedomPop looks interesting, but T-Mobile’s data plans are really affordable these days. And their network has improved. Looks like a good buy to me.

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   • Tigerz

     If you’re not tech savvy, a person that doesn’t read the fine print, use extreme caution with Freedom Pop. Also, they say byop, BUT their phones are much easier to use on their program. You can end up spending$$$$$ with FP if you’re not careful. They seem to be a bit shady.

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     • we

       Two or three years suffering FP with slow to too slow support via forums. If one needs to be online it’s worth more NOT to saddle up with induced anxiety. Now ZTE Unite with AT&T Prepaid [8GB/$50] with portal monitoring at will and current stats within 24 hour or less cycle.

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     • Elmo

       Freedompop has a lot of back doors to RIP you off

       Reply
5. Gary

   Thanks for your list, saved a lot of our time

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6. Marie

   TotalWireless from Walmart, a Verizon MVNO prepaid plan, has a 3G hotspot that is $35/month for 5GB of data, plus add-on data at $10 for 3GB. Any add-on data purchased does not expire (remaining balance rolls over to the next month) as long as the hotspot device’s account remains active. Wish they offered 4G LTE, but for browsing and email, this is working quite well. After hooking up a Wilson signal booster, we are getting at least 2.6mbps for download speed at our rural location.

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   • G.E. Miller

     Thanks for the tip. I’ve added to the list.

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     • Alma

       Total Wireless from walmart I don’t understand the $35.00 month 5GB plan it said 1 line/device can you not have 2 laptops in use with it? It does say laptop. I don’t know much about MiFi or Hotspot can you explain this to me about the Total Wireless plan if I can use at home & on the go with my 2 laptops.

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       • Mary jo

         I have had Cricket for years . Love them. Check it out. Owned / use ATT towers.

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     • Scarlett

       I understand this was a post on cheapest plans…cheap is very relative. If you only need a little data, then being able to buy a plan with very little data is great. We use a lot of data, as we pretty much do everything online and for us paying $10 or $15 for each additional gB would be verymuch cost prohibitive. On top of that we travel and are not at our “primary home” for 3 to 6 months out of the year-not all at once. We are usually gone from one to two months at a time. Our current carrier only allows us to pause the service once every 12 rolling month period. This helps once in 12 months, but we still need something while we are on the road and when we get to our destinations, because we run the computer and various other devices. We do get 10gBs each for tethering on our cell phones, but that is used up very quickly. When we do travel to other places it is in an RV. We want a mobile hotspot with unlimited data, so we can use it when we are home, on the road and wherever we happen to stop. In my search, I came across unlimitedville. It does require a one-time $99 membership. You can choose from 4 different plans, which represent the 4 major providers. Sprint costs the least at $99/mo. It also has the link for http://www.antennasearch.com. On this site you can check who has an antenna near you so you can make sure you pick the best carrier for you. In our case, when we stop while traveling, we can make sure to do it near a Sprint tower, so we can get optimal usage from the hotspot. There is no additional cost for the equipment. There is no contract and you can cancel and send the hotspot back at any time. According to their site there is no limit and no throttling, other than what would occur based on traffic/congestion of the tower you are pinging off.

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       • Tina Young

         Thank you soooo much for sharing this.

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         • Tina Young

           Scarlett, do you also use an antenna signal booster with this when rv’ing? Do you have a website/blog/youtube about your rv travels? This is why i’m here, planning for my upcoming rv travels, thanks

           Reply
       • Tina Young

         Thank you soooo much for sharing this.
         That’s why i’m here, planning for my up coming rv’ing travels. Do you also use an antenna signal booster with this, on your rv? Are you present online website/blogs/ youtube about your rv travels?

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         • Justin

           https://bgr.com/2017/06/14/verizon-unlimited-data-hotspot-deal-50-per-month/

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           • Demetrius

             Can you unlock the new Verizon 8800L for unlimited data?

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       • Kimberly Gorman

         Boost has a limited plan that wont be available much longer but once u have it ur good..u can use your phone as a mobile hotspot with 50 gbs a month and ur phone has unlimited 4g and a couple other perks for 80 a month..only company i found with 50 gbs of mobile hotspot that cheap!

         Reply
   • Jesse Miranda

     Can I use this to watch Netflix n firestix on this or will this use up a lot of data

     Reply
7. Marc

   It may also be worth noting that with the T-MOBILE hotspots, the data listed is just how much high speed data you get. After that your speed is throttled back to 2G, but you still, technically, have internet access for the full 30 days.

   I don’t know if/what others do that.

   Reply
   • Theresa Andrade

     2g, no wonder it stank. It is supposed to be 3g after you use up the 4g LTE data.

     Reply
8. garnet

   Yes the Karma SUBSCRIPTION model is $10 for 1GB per month but it is $15 per 1GB for never expiring data (or pay-as-you-go). Their subscription model is better if you use more than 5GB per month (I’ve done the math). But if you use less than 5GB do pay-as-you-go plan – it will save you about $200 per year that route. They seem to really be pushing subscription these day.

   – 3.5 year Karma customer

   Reply
9. dan

   How reliable is Freedom Pop? It seems kinda shady.

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   • dan

     How reliable is Freedom Pop? It seems kinda shady.

     Also what about Netzero hotspot? I’m curious on there “free” plans.

     Reply
     • Kristine Popple

       We actually have a freedompop phone..on the plan. Its my sons first. I will break it down.
       200 min
       200 txt
       500 MB data
       Free
       You can add more data by doing surveys on the site or adding freedom friends. They have a fb page with lists to add.m 50mb each person…and its every month. You can build up to 3 MB free..every month. For $3.99 you can add rollover. The phone..we purchased a Hydro for $35 on eBay. Its awesome. Always have service..he uses WiFi mostly. We love it…
       The hotspot has the free part too..and data upgrade is kinda higher. We haven’t used it. They don’t have an unlimited plan…but they always respond on Fb.. And always improving.

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       • Kristine Popple

         Sorry…3 Gb. Lol..

         Reply
10. Stacey MacMurdo

    Has anyone used a hotspot for tv? With roku or Amazon sticks?

    Reply
    • Tamela Bazemore

      I have Metro PCS w/8GB Hotspot & watching my Firestick with no problem….

      Reply
11. Kate

    Can a mobile hotspot be used by different providers?
    I am renting my house for the summer and don’t have interent but looking into a hotspot for renters but worried if one has att and another Verizon, etcetera.
    Does it matter if devices are all different providers?

    Reply
    • Scarlett

      Your question is a bit confusing. Are you asking: If you provide the hotspot, does it matter who is the phone service provider for your renters? In that case, the answer is no, it does not matter. As long as you provide them with the access information, anyone can use the hotspot, regardless which provider they are subscribing to. As a matter of fact, all my old phones can still access the web through wifi…I just cannot make calls or text. Of course I could still use skype or imo…once you connect to a hotspot, you are no longer going through the provider you have your phone service with. You are now using the service that the hotspot is subscribed to.

      Reply
      • Nono

        Thank you for such a patient and factual answer!

        Reply
12. Lisa

    I’ve been using my Virgin Mobile iPhone as a mobile hotspot. $5 for 1 gb or $10 per 2 gb of data. When my data runs out I message VM and buy more. Cheaper than any of the alternatives above and very fast. We got rid of Comcast and this method seems just as fast. I run tivos, laptops, desktops, etc this way. VM for cellphone use is $30/month with auto pay. Can’t beat it if it’s good in your area.

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13. Kevin Whitworth

    Someone needs to offer a cheap mobile hotspot unlimited plan this is ridiculous

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    • Tony V

      It’s not cheap, but go on Ebay and search for “unlimited data hotspot”. You can find month-to-month unlimited plans for all 4 of the mentioned providers. As cheap as $88 (Sprint) up to $180 (Verizon).

      Reply
      • Nono

        Truth was to Kevin Whitworth.
        Tony V that’s not cheap!!!

        Reply
      • Mike R.

        I have to agree with Kevin. I wasted over $200 on two different Verizon MiFi’s from eBay (a 4G LTE and a 3G) on a $5/mo unlimited plan..(Yes, you read that right) 4G was awesome for about a month or so, then kicked me off the network – doesn’t work now. 3G unit is “iffy” as well. There are companies/individuals that will “flash” a hotspot unit to a particular plan based on a prepaid cellphone, but it depends on the carrier, unit model, etc and it’s risky because if the MVNO/individual is in direct competition with the carrier, they don’t care they will just kick you off the network.

        BTW folks, Verizon is rolling out their 5G network soon, and they are DISCONTINUING THE 3G NETWORK at the end of 2018! So I wouldn’t buy any 3G hotspots on Verizon.

        Reply
        • Hugb

          I have Verizon and for $ 45. a month I get 15 GB data at 4 GB speed. I am looking at picking up there unlimited data same speed for $ 65. To get these prices I have to pay Auto off my bank account. The viewing is HD and it is better than Xfinity, they are evil to the bone. No not sign up with Comcast.

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    • Nono

      Truth

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    • CHRIS

      I concur!!!!

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    • Bonnie

      I so agree with you! If you find one, pass on the info please. I’m SO frustrated! This is hands disc the hardest utility installation I’ve ever done. we moved to a rural area and cake plus intent runs right around $400-$450.00’s a month!! And that’s not including the “end of the cap data” data that we have to add Million times to get thru the month. $10.00’so for 2gigs at a time…no other way to add more gigs. I could scream right now.
      I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way in our neighborhood. Buy to be completely honest I don’t have neighbors close enough to be asking around for their Internet/WiFi preferences. So I’m at a loss. Help of you can and I’ll do the same for you. Thank you ahead of time.

      Reply
14. Bob

    Used to love my Unlimited Clear hotspot! When I checked my data usage I was usually around 30 G’s per month for 40 bucks but you can’t find anything like that anymore! 50 bucks for 10 G’s doesn’t seem like it’s enough. More money for less data. Why did all the unlimited carriers run away?

    Reply
    • we

      Clear Unlimited veteran bemoaning as well: >99% uptime, 6 MB download easily, GB without limit, only one user with multiple devices – still at $40 a VALUE. Tower rents and backhaul can’t be that high to preclude a profit: try zero advertising and bulk mail promo offerings to reduce churn ?

      Reply
    • Cory

      Basically because streaming became more and more popular and they couldn’t keep up with the bandwidth demand. Instead of working on increasing bandwidth they reduced the amount being used by throttling us into oblivion. Pretty smart right!
      Now I’m limited to 15 Gb which is a little over two movies a month. One if I wanted to watch it in 4k.
      I can pay 50 bucks for 5 more gigs. What am I gonna do with 5 gigs?? If you’re NOT streaming that’s plenty, If you are streaming you’ll burn through that in an afternoon.
      Even my “unlimited” phone data is subject to being throttled once it reaches 40 Gigs. Unlimited data… **limited to 40G
      This whole thing is ridiculous.

      Reply
15. Richard

    I’m nearly 75. I hope I don’t get in trouble for using a site for 20 somethings. I’ve been retired and living in the Republic of Panama for the last eight years but am repatriating to the U.S. with a specific goal in mind. I bought a small sailboat (I worked most of my life as a boat captain) and I intend on cruising along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the next year or so. I’ve done the Atlantic from Cape Cod to Key West a half dozen times so looking for something different.

    I used to have a hot spot router down here until they wired me up with cable modem. It worked okay for basic stuff. Since I run a couple of blogs I want to be able to post my stories, and since I plan on spending the greater time “on the hook” that is anchored, I need something like one of these. It looks like the coverage is good with most of the vendors, just a matter of choosing one.

    Reply
    • Scarlett

      Richard, check unlimitedville.com. We are RVers and had the same issue.

      Reply
    • Kenny Rivera

      Sounds interesting

      Reply
16. Tim

    All of my entertainment and business needs take a lot of data and I’m still capped. Does anyone offer unlimited plans for wifi hot spot?

    Reply
17. Elia Sanchez

    I hate Sprint for taking my Clear hotspot; I had it for many years since it initially became available. I would have it on all the time, $50 a month, no fuss. I would take it with me when I went out of town, it was great. How I miss it. I will never use Sprint ever.

    Reply
    • Joe

      Yes me too! I thought $ 50(at first) & then it went to $55 was expensive! And it was really unlimited!! Was I WRONG! Clear was great! No one else comes close! I use Boost $50/month for 10GB. Seems pricey, but everyone else is more money for less data..

      Reply
      • Elia

        Unfortunately, Boost is Sprint. They are the reason I don’t have my $55 a month of truely unlimited WiFi.

        Reply
        • Joe

          5/21/17
          Yes, but Clear did sell to them. I’m sure the money was more than Clear could resist! Now that I’ve heard of 4G Community from James here, I’ll probably try them.

          Reply
      • James Willette

        Boost now offers 50GB hotspot with their phone plans. So if you use Boost as your carrier you’ll get 50GB with their $80 plan and 30GB with the $50 plan which is the best out of all the carriers by far. My problem is that I like to download games on PS4 and one game can be as much as 60GB lol. It’s about time to go back to wired internet I think.

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18. Hank

    None are truly unlimited the all slow down after you reach a certain amount of gigabytes the gigabyte game is just one big rip off I like to put up a hotspots but they are expensive $20 for 2 GB and you can’t watch movies with 2 gigabytes not for long

    Reply
19. Candace

    I am trying to find a wifi source for a long road with 2 little boys that would be easily entertained if they could play video games during the trip. Any recommendations? We will have over 30 hours total driving.

    Reply
    • Grandma

      Give them a coloring book and crayons and a cd player or mp3 for music and audio books. Geez kids are soooo spoiled. And if they complain, give them an etch-a-sketch. (Look it up)

      Reply
20. Jim

    Some people are saying there is not unlimited hotspot plans and they are right but unlimitedvilli says a house of 4or 5 people with regular use will use 200gb to 250gb a month. The plan they have is 300 GB at 4g speeds for $99 a month. So there is a limit but I think there saying it would be hard for most people to use that much.

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21. Joe

    10-25-17
    Sure does! I was hopeful I could join.

    Reply
22. David

    Has anyone here tried a Mobley hotspot? If so what was your experience like?

    Reply
23. Pearline

    I am just learning about hotspot. I remember once my daughter hooked her phone to mine and I was able to have internet. Never knew it was this big. I am just a slow learner at times. But I am learning. Thanks, Pearline

    Reply
24. Z

    Buyer Beware of FreedomPop! The MIFi speed is the KB! That’s right, I ran a speed test several times over the last few days, the results were horrible. Highest never reached 500KB, lowest 12KB and the average was around 100KB from all the test. This is NOT the FREE PLAN it’s a paid plan, 5GB of Data total price with Fees, $43.98 monthly

    Reply
25. Joe

    11/22/17
    Z, while I’d really rather have an(truly) unlimited plan, Boost mobile
    gives me 10G for $50.00/month. I’ve measured speeds from about 2G up to 26! Never in KB’s though.
    P.S. thanks for the warning!!

    Reply
26. Mateena

    Where can i buy hotspot so can pay by the month for

    Reply
27. Rob

    Hello, I have the Straighttalk mobile hotspot, since beginning of November 2017. I am using the $40 for 4GB for 2-month no-contract plan. Does anyone else here have Straighttalk? Right now I think this plan is the best, because it lasts for 2 months without expiring. Straighttalk seems to be the only one (or maybe one of two) companies that offer data plans for 2-months. Most companies offer only on a 1-month per basis.
    However, if there is a better plan out there, I will try it. I do not know much about the pay-as-you-go plans. Does this work like a debit card, in where you purchase a set amount of data and it does not expire over a month or more until you actually run out of data? For example, if I buy 4GB for $40 with no expiration, and I am a light user, it is possible that that 4GB would last for 6 months until I run out of data. Then I just pay again for a new set. If there is such a deal, is there a pay-as-you-go plan that is price-competitive (cheaper than) $40 for 4GB (aka, $20 for 2GB)? That again is a nice ideal price-performance breakpoint for me. It would be nice to find a deal something like $40 for 5GB with no expiration, if such exists.

    Reply
    • James Willette

      If you have a Boost phone you get 30GB/month on their $50 plan and 50GB on their $80 plan. You think 4GB is good for $40?! You crazy?! I use 4GB in a single day sometimes, that’s only watching like half a season of a Netflix show or 3-4 movies. Downloading a video game can be up to 60GB lol. You must only be looking at text and not streaming because 4GB wouldn’t last most people more than a couple days. I just paid my phone bill last night and I’ve already used 2.7GB in the last 12hrs lol. Boost definitely has the best plan but you need to have them as your phone carrier, not just have an actual mobile hotspot. I’m getting a Galaxy S7 from them for $250 with the $80 plan and then I’ll be able to watch 50 or so movies a month if I want to.

      Reply
      • Rob

        Hi yes, You’re correct, I do not stream video or audio, as I am aware it guzzles data. It’s mostly for browsing, email & ocassionally lite file downloading, more or less. I said the same thing to the Kim Hewett thread below about a year ago about streaming. I will also sometimes check Youtube, but only at 144p to save data. No need for sharp video quality if I can understand the context.
        I don’t know much about Boost, but if they can do No-Contract plans, I may try it. Right now $20 for 2GB per month for a 2-month sweep (hence 4GB total) with NO contract is working for me. I can always skip a month or two & sometimes just go to a public wi-fi & get my Internet there.
        But we also have an old grandfathered T-mobile contract plan which began a decade ago, which is 2GB/month data & only at 2G speed. Better than nothing. T-mobile’s next plan up is good but then I have to pay way more, so will have to stick to this grandfathered plan. When I mean “grandfathered”, it’s the plan that we used when my family had slider phones starting a decade ago & now it’s been moved to smartphones. We actually just moved to smartphones late last year! Anyway with this old plan, I can actually watch Youtube, but only at 144p again BUT I also have to slow down Youtube to 0.75 speed just so that the 2G speed can keep up. You might be asking, why not go to the next plan up with T-Mobile. It’s because we’re paying for 3 phones, so the total monthly contract fee shoots up. And the Straighttalk hotspot is only for me, it would obviously run out faster if it got shared. I can also fall back to 56k dial-up, as I still have dial-up modems.
        The point is just to save money. The Straighttalk plan is No-Contract, so I can always skip a month(s) like I said. Their $40 for 4GB is their sweetspot for me, they have other plans, some less, some more, you can see on their website. So Until I can find another No-contract plan for 2-months for about $20/month at larger than 4GB total, I will have to stick with them. Actually right now, I’ve skipped Straighttalk for almost 2 months now & just using my old-contract smartphone with the 2G/2GB data plan. If I need to stream a video or download a big file (like 5MB & up, because even at 5MB, you have to be patient downloading on 2G speed ), then I find public wi-fi, which is not hard to find around here. ~Rob 02/19/19.

        Reply
    • Sarah

      I had Straight talk, but they started stealing. I would buy my new monthlu allotment, sign it up, and poof, no data immediately after. Customer service said I used it all, but I hadn’t even connected at all except to re-up the plan. They finally fixed it one month, bit the next month it happened again! They stole 2 months of data so no more hotspot from them! My phone service is ok with them though – even smart phone. How srupid is that!

      Reply
28. Joe

    Internet on the go just screwed all it’s customers. The forever data is no longer forever, even if you purchased it before the change.

    Reply
29. Elia

    Cheapest wifi – xfinity, you buy the gateway at Boost and you pay $40 if you also have your mobile with them. If it’s another carrier you pay $45. Along with the gateway (box) you receive instructions with an activation code. You wait 48 hours and go on xfinity.prepaid.net. The first month (30 days) is free. I can’t take it with me, but I can use my mobile hotspot when I’m out.

    Reply
30. Kim Hewett

    Stay far away from Straight Talk!!!! Purchased a hot spot from them, many, many problems! The long and short of it is, they do not stand behind their products, very unethical! I am going to Walmart today for 2nd conference with them, store manager this time (unit purchased at Walmart). The gottcha is Walmart only allows 15 day return. If no resolution here then things escalate. Would love to see a class action lawsuit against Straight Talk, anybody else intetested?

    Reply
    • Rob

      “many, many problems!”
      What exactly is the problem(s)?

      Reply
      • NJ

        Start streaming a show, screen freezes then flashes “sorry, problems with our server” 4 different times. You call ST tech support (Pakistan) and they put you on hold FOREVER. I drove 30 minutes to Walmart, while on hold, to return the piece of crap.

        Reply
        • Rob

          Sorry about that. I have not had to call ST customer support so far. Straighttalk is still working for me. As I said before, I am using the “$40 for 4GB for 2-month” refill. It would be nice if they lowered that to $35, or maybe increased it to maybe 4.5GB. Since I only pick the 4GB package, I do not stream videos, that would really empty out the data quick.

          Reply
    • NJ

      Owned straighttalk hotspot for 24 hours. Spent 4 hours on the phone with them trying to keep it running. Total rip off. Don’t bother, unless you like being on hold.

      Reply
    • Jon Moser

      I cancelled my account with Straight Talk today (March 11th 2018), four days after It had been replenished via auto pay. The issue was that, since then, I had no internet access whatsoever. When I called them about the problem, they insisted that my data had been entirely used up, which absolutely could not have happened due to any actions on my part.

      Beyond that, their service was spotty, to the point that one time it did not work for over a week. On other occasions I wasn’t able to login to my account. Thanks to this excellent article, it looks like at least a few viable alternatives exist for a person like me who typically needs to use a hotspot service only a few hours a week, to keep up with email and a couple of web sites when I’m out.

      And yes I would be willing to share my experience as a Straight Talk user via a class action suit.

      Reply
      • Rob

        ” … they insisted that my data had been entirely used up, which absolutely could not have happened due to any actions on my part…”
        – What machine were you on? I assume it was a computer? If so, could it be possible your PC was automatically updating itself (i.e. Microsoft Windows) in the background & thus sucking up all the data? I had that happen when I was connected with Straighttalk hotspot on my new Windows 10 tablet. I think it sucked up 1 gigabyte of updates. I went back to my Windows 7 laptop because I know the auto-updates are 100% turned off, whereas with Windows 10, you have to do some work to actually turn off all updates.

        Reply
    • D.Mills

      I had a ST hotspot. The thing was terribly spotty. I disconnected it for a year or so and when I went to use it again I couldn’t get the damn thing to connect. I called CS and they told me that my hotspot must be broken, which was total BS. No doubt it was a software change issue. Terrible CS too. Hard to understand them and they just give you pat answers, whether they are relevant or not. Though I do have my phone through them currently, with absolutely no problems, I would never buy a hotspot through them again.

      Reply
    • Bruce

      Straight talk pissed me off, I pay 60 bucs a month for unlimited plan so I can watch Hulu, they shut my internet down after I was at 200 Gb, twice…. thought the shit was Unlimited!! They said I was in the wrong by using a usb cord to my t.v so I could see what I’m watching better, wth.. half the time I just used my phone anyhow, the unlimited is a scam,

      Reply
      • John brown

        ST/Att pre pay plans do not let you use your phone as a moble hot spot.

        Reply
31. Twyla Lowe

    boon docking soon and am in need of knowing the best for the buck provider for around 200 GB monthly if not unlimited….

    Thank you. ♥

    Reply
    • Twyla Lowe

      Need to be able to supply internet to 2 laptops for work while on the road. And possible 2 phones IF they can bundle.

      Reply
32. Rick

    I was lucky to get the original Karma plan, which is buy all you want and it never expires, and they have regular half price (or sometimes better) sales. So you can stock up and use it as you need. I had a specific need, the hotspot is only used on the weekend once or twice a month, with varying usage, so monthly plans didn’t work. Fortunately, those of us that bought that plan are still supported that way.

    Reply
33. Erich Wittig

    Some GM vehicles have a hotspot service (AT&T) available on their newer vehicles and the pricing has come down to $20 per month for unlimited data. Signal strength reception is supposedly good for 50 ft. I was looking for access to wifi when camping, and this might be the cheapest solution when in a campground without wifi.

    Reply
    • D1nonlysnshn

      yes, great…I say that tongue in cheek. Most people will not run and go out to buy a new vehicle to get unlimited date…for what the new car costs, I can buy loads of any type of wifi data. Those that are buying a new vehicle, will of course find out about this additional benny. Also, this may persuade some people to purchase this type of vehicle instead of another one. This still leaves the rest of us who want this for home, in our RVs or boats…
      but, if I were in the market for a new vehicle, this would certainly be a consideration.

      Reply
    • TomAce

      I have a GMC Yukon, and I purchase the unlimited data for $20/mo. We go on a lot of road trips with twin 5 year olds, and it’s nice to have that wifi in the truck for movies, gaming, or even my wife working on her laptop. I had thought about using this for RV’ing or Camping, but the problem there is that the truck needs to be ON in order for the wifi to work…and then you risk running your truck battery down.

      Reply
      • Erich Wittig

        The GMC vehicle needs to be on, but not with the engine running. If using your Yukon with a travel trailer or camper that has an electrical connection between your car and your trailer, then the site electrical hookup will keep your car battery charged as long as it is connected. The easy thing to do is use one set of keys to keep your acc on and another set to lock your Yukon. My only question is the reception quality as you receive away from the truck (advertised good for 50′)

        Reply
34. rodney

    Does anyone have any experience with Unlimited LTE Advanced?

    Reply
35. Jesse

    I have a ZTE cell phone with a 6-inch screen…. my Isp is Boost mobile ….. I have all unlimited data xcetera and 20 GB of mobile hotspot which is tethered…. All of that for $60 a month. Not too bad!

    Reply
36. Dustan Denton

    If you have good Sprint connection in your area try pcforpeople.com. They have a $10 a month plus price of modem plan that says unlimited(throttle at 22gb). You have to qualify under there income requirements to get it. Here is the direct link to the plan details https://www.pcsforpeople.org/low-cost-internet/.

    Reply
37. Aleksandr

    The first choice of XFinity Mobile should say $12 / GB *per month*. In other words, even if you only use 10MB per month (as do I), you will still be charged $12 / month.

    Reply
    • G.E. Miller

      Yes, it does reset each month. But note that the first 100 MB each month are free. If you go over, that is when you’d pay the first $12 and so on.

      Reply
38. Charley

    We are about to be full time RV’ers. We are trying to find an unlimited data hotspot. Talk about pricey!! I’ve checked out unlimitedville (thanks Scarlett!). While googling we also found http://www.infiniteltedata.com. Has anyone used them? Looking for any and all info or help! We are a family of 4. We use tons of data…. 2 phones (we already have unlimited data on our phones but it slows after so much GB, our carrier is at&t), Netflix, Hulu, PS4 online gaming… lots of gadgets! Thanks!

    Reply
    • James Willette

      Boost has 50GB of hotspot data in addition to the unlimited data on the phone when you have them as your phone carrier. It’s $80/month for that plan and $50/month for 30GB. That’s about 50-100hrs of streaming depending which you choose. Only thing I need to hook up to wired internet for is to download games on PS4 as one game can be 60GB. In fact, Red Dead 2 is about 100GB lol.

      Reply
      • forbryn

        yes!

        i have this, too. it’s easily the best deal out there…well, considering “unlimited” is now like a unicorn or bigfoot or something. 😉

        Reply
39. James

    I checked out unlimitedville.com. to me, $249 one time membership and $149.00 a month is outrageously priced. That is a lot of money to me. Internet should not be expensive. The satellites are all over the sky. Why does it cost so much to get it to our homes, cars, RVs, ect.? I don’t understand.
    I live in my van. I make enough for gas, insurance, food, and the occasional motel weekend, but my phone carrier limits my data. I use around 65GBs a month of data. I need the high speed all month long. No throttling. No limits. Unlimitedville is too expensive for me. What other choices are there?

    Reply
    • G.E. Miller

      The $249 one-time membership fee is the concerning part to me. We don’t know anything about this company. Another company with a similar model (maybe it was the same people), that people were really excited about, recently went out of business. What happens to your $249 in that scenario?

      Reply
40. Carrie

    I don’t see many dates on these replies so I’m not 100% sure how old they are but I have a feeling this is still an ongoing conversation. My issue or maybe my question is where can I find unlimited hotspot data for maybe $200-250? We are traveling to my sister’s summer home in BFE for 2 weeks. There is no TV, no wifi and my 7 year old twins will make me batty if it rains. I know we will be in the ocean a lot but I just want to be able to stream media or allow them to play their silly Fire tablets. I have a fire stick and were going to be buying a tv, don’t judge, it’s not my house.

    Reply
    • Larry

      7/10/18
      Hi Carrie,
      Go to Ebay & search for ” unlimited hotspot data”.
      You can get it for less than 100/month

      Reply
41. Christina

    These data allowances are laughable these days!

    Reply
    • Cory

      What are they thinking? I burn through my 15 Gbs in 2 days. We should be seeing >100 Gbs packages.

      Reply
42. Paivi

    Data doesn’t really cost that much. In the US, all companies charge ridiculous prices for data. It’s so arbitrary. In Europe, you can buy a tiny 4G web station and put any SIM card in it, unlimited high-speed data for $15/month.

    Reply
    • Larry

      7/18/18
      Paivi, you are so right about the U.S. companies!
      2 questions: Is that 15 US dollars? Also, is that no caps on the “unlimited” data?

      Reply
    • Aleksandr

      More generally, even if the answer to both Larry’s questions is “no”, I still wanna know what you’re talking about. I have relatives visiting me from Germany right now, and they didn’t know about any such plan…

      Reply
43. Joe

    T-Mobile was ok but they started charging too much for hotspot…i download around 600gb a month..lol

    Reply
44. Bob K.

    If you just want to have a hotspot for just surfing the internet, try Unrealmobile. I received the hotspot device for free, but $10 shipping. First 2 weeks of 5GB 4G LTE then UNLIMITED 2G for FREE, then it is $30/month after that, or just downgrade before that to 1GB 4G LTE then unlimited 2G for $10/month.

    Reply
    • Bob K.

      EDIT: Actually the $10 was for activation and not for shipping-the shipping was included.

      Reply
    • KnifeDancer

      Thank you for breaking these down! I’m a light data user (1GB or less) but I recently got into Pokemon GO with a friend a few times a week. Since I have an old basic Nokia phone without the bells and whistles (not a fan of smartphones), I use my Fire tablet to play. Normally we use his smartphone as a hotspot but I have no way to play when he goes out of town. I’m looking for a mobile hotspot device with a low cost plan for the occasional use. Are there any prepay, no contract, mobile ways out there? Besides upgrading my phone? T-Mobile has a $72 device but I think it needs a plan to be used. Verizon has a $40 prepay device but I have no idea if there is a catch. Might use maybe 2GB/month and I would rather be month-to-month so I can pay when I need it. [8/17/19]

      Reply
45. Sarah S

    Thanks for the info and all the input from the different providers to give more of an idea of how each service works and who seems to be reliable. Quick question which service provider is more reliable in Phoenix, AZ? If anyone is in same area please share your thoughts on the mobile hotspot.

    Reply
46. forbryn

    11/2/18 i’m a little late, but thanks for the article. for the past 6 months, or so, i’ve been exclusively using my cellphone’s hotspot as my internet connection at home. for 60.00/month, i get all the usual unlimited talk/text…and 20G of data via the hotspot setting. it’s the best deal i’ve found, by far. but, i’m always on the lookout for a better deal, just in case. if i happen to go over toward the end of the month, i just go ahead and start a new month for 60.00. it’s still much cheaper than the alternatives. i watch lots of videos/tv shows/movies, plus email, shopping, etc. just thought i’d toss in my 2 cents in case it helps someone out there save a few bucks. 😉

    Reply
47. Annmardan

    11/2/2018 I use an AT&T Wireless Internet device to provide cellular wifi hotspot data at my rural home office. Our requirements are to provide internet connection for computers, security cameras, Needed a dedicated hotspot device, not just a cell phone hotspot to accomplish what we need. If the AT7T Wireless Internet device is purchased directly from AT&T, the cost of the device itself is either $10/month on contract or $199 to purchase up front. I bought one of the devices on ebay for $55, and took it to an AT&T store for activation. The monthly plan cost for 50 GB of highspeed data is $60. I can increase this to 100GB of high speed data for a total of $80/month. The device is portable, plugs into a wall outlet and has a built in battery, and also lets me attach a regular landline style telephone to it and make unlimited local and long distance calls. It supports 20 devices connecting simultaneously to it’s wifi, has an Ethernet port for connecting to additional devices (routers, etc), and a standard telephone plug for the landline style telephone to plug into. As my purpose in having it is for wireless internet, I have only used the telephone feature a couple times when our Verizon cell phone service went down. Details on this device are here: https://www.att.com/cellphones/att/att-wireless-internet.html#overview.
    Of course, I would rather have an unlimited, no throttle service for the same price, but for 50 or 100 GB of non-throttled speed, the price points are cheaper than what I’ve seen elsewhere.

    Reply
    • Rick C

      can you post a link to that plan?? NOWHERE on any page, does it state 50GB of service for that price. I am in the same boat as you, and I have yet to find any deals like this at this time. So, please post me a link…..

      Reply
    • Cy

      11/29/18 – I just called AT&T. There are no AT&T plans with that amount of data for a hotspot. 15 gb at the most.

      Reply
      • forbryn

        12/02/18
        Cy,
        saw ur reply & that ur actively searching so thought i’d pass along what i know.

        Boost has a 60/month plan: u get the usual unlimited talk/data/text for the phone itself, plus 30Gig for ur mobile hotspot. i use JUST my phone as a hotspot & i stream movies, tv shows, music videos etc, plus the usual email, shopping, browsing, etc. if i run out at the end of the month, i just start a fresh month a little early…it’s still better than any other plan i’ve found. & now that they’ve upped it from 20G to 30G a month, i should never go over. hope this helps!

        Forbryn

        https://www.boostmobile.com/plans.html?intnav=TopMobileNav:QuickLinks:Plans

        Reply
      • Cy

        12/24/18 Correction …. after calling AT&T multiple times and being told there isn’t such a plan I finally went to a store and found out this does exist. AT&T does have high speed wireless internet, $10/ month for the unit and $60/ month for 50 gb data. You can add it to a phone plan. There is no link on AT&T’s website though, but if you call about the AT&T wireless home phone internet you should be able to get what you need. This unit is portable so you can get wifi anywhere your AT&T cell phone can get service!

        Reply
48. Stormy

    11/4/18 i am hoping someone can give me some more advice on this. I stay in the spring area in an apartment and I have no TV or anything just my cellphone. I really want to get one of these wireless hotspot internet things(not sure what they are really called) but I was just wanting to find the cheapest like month to month plan so that me and my son can watch Netflix and so I can check my emails and keep up with both of our dr stuff. But I’m on a very very very tight budget since I’m not allowed to work. Any advice would be so appreciated. I’ve been in this apartment for a year with no internet or th adn have been watching the same movies over and over again.

    Reply
    • Burt McGirt

      i tried posting this couple months ago but it didnt go through. if metropcs(now metro by tmobile) is in your area they have a 10gig/month 4glte hotspot for $35/month and $5 for an additional 2gig “top-off”. i have found nothing even close to being better….

      Reply
      • Burt McGirt

        ps the hotspot device (alcatel) was only $49, but i think its being offered for free to new customers now.

        Reply
    • forbryn

      Stormy: hello! don’t know if u saw my comment above, but since i posted it, Boost has made the plan even better! 30G a month for 60 bucks! u get the usual unlimited talk & text, plus 30Gig for your mobile hotspot. i use JUST my phone as a hotspot & i stream movies, tv shows, music videos etc, plus the usual email, shopping, browsing, etc. if i run out at the end of the month, i just start a fresh month a little early…it’s still better than any other plan i’ve found. & now that they’ve upped it from 20G to 30G a month, i should never go over. hope this helps! :)

      Reply
    • forbryn

      forgot to leave the link for you:

      https://www.boostmobile.com/plans.html?intnav=TopMobileNav:QuickLinks:Plans

      :)

      Reply
49. Rob

    I assume you’re in the usa. For watching TV, the most basic way, and without using internet data, just buy a dtv box (digital TV). You can still find these at big box stores, like Walmart etc, for around $30-40. I have also seen them at Goodwill in used condition for much less (be sure it has the remote control). You will also need to get an indoor antenna, It’s going to depend how many digital TV channels you have in your area to watch. It is all free. I get about 30+ different channels around here. At least you get to watch the news.
    If you need internet, you may need at LEAST around 10 gigs per month of data if you are going to watch streaming tv/movies/netflix. Good luck finding a cheap plan for that! It all depends on your budget. The plan I use is only 4 gigs for every 60 days for $40, no contract. That’s basically 2 gigs for $20 a month. Not good for streaming movies, but good enough for checking emails, Facebook, ebay, browsing, downloading medium sized files etc. But it would be awesome to find a plan for that much for 10 gigs. Another way is I hang out for a bit in areas where there is free public WiFi. Of course you will need to leave your apartment… unless you are able to scan for one within your apt! Or check with your apt’s super on what broadband services you can have.
    And yes, it’s called a mobile hotspot. Good luck.

    Reply
    • James Willette

      If you use Boost as your phone carrier they include 30GB of mobile hotspot in their $50 unlimited plan and 50GB of hotspot on their $80 plan. That’s the best deal around by far. I was with Metro for about 10yrs and have decided to switch to Boost mainly for this plan and the fact they have Galaxy S8s for like $300. That’s a great deal all around. Metro was $60/month for unlimited data and 15GB hotspot so paying $10 less for double the hotspot was a no-brainer.

      Reply
50. forbryn

    howdy all…since i posted my comment above, Boost has changed their plan: 30G/month – 60 bucks!

    with the plan you get:
    ~unlimited talk/text
    ~30G/month for mobile hotspot use

    i use ONLY MY PHONE for internet all month. i stream videos/tv shows/movies plus the usual browsing, email, shopping, etc. i live in an area where cell service is notoriously bad.slow, and mine still works. :)

    this is BY FAR the best deal around. if any1 has a better one, i’m totally happy to stand corrected :)

    https://www.boostmobile.com/plans.html?intnav=TopMobileNav:QuickLinks:Plans

    Reply
51. Suzanne Krom

    Hello, does anyone know how much data would be required to only use an Amazon Echo Dot? My elderly mother loves our Echo Dot, so we bought her one, but she doesn’t have internet and since we will be paying for the access, we were hoping to get away with using a hot spot since she’s only using the Echo Dot. I just have no idea how many gigs we need to provide. Thanks!

    Reply
52. Matt

    I used rentnconnect during my Paris trip. It worked really well and it was cheap. You just say them your hotel info that you want to pick your device and then they deliver it to you. Very easy process.

    Reply
53. No Nonsense Landlord

    I was looking at otrmobile dot com. $60 per month, unlimited using ATT towers. I never see any reviews, but I can even bring over my Verizon MiFi7730L.

    I never see any reviews about them though…

    Reply
    • Ike The King

      Hey, did u ever try otrmobile? I’m too afraid of falling for a scam to try it… I just need 1 review!😭

      Reply
54. Roman Deals

    Just trying out https://m.unrealmobile.com/l69v and their new launch special service which includes a unite hotspot for only 10 bucks a month on the att&t network and working out great so far. They allow 14 day trial and get this…it is unlimited data but it does slows-down after you reach your allocated high-speed data plan but who cares because it is unlimited data but slower and great as a back-up to your cell phone or wired service… Check it out for yourself as only you can decide if it meets your needs and if service towers are available near you.

    Reply
55. Steve

    Unreal Mobile are the same scammers who run FreedomPop. Bait and switch. They advertise low rates but then screw you with add-ons and phantom charges when you downgrade to the cheap or free plan. It’s not worth it. Stay away from Unreal Mobile and FreedomPop!!!

    Reply
56. forbryn

    01/19/19

    howdy all! i don’t think any1 actually reads my comments, but just in case…😉

    Boost has done it again!

    you pay:
    80/month
    you get:
    unlimited talk
    unlimited text
    unlimited data (for use on phone itself)
    Tidal Premium (music streaming service)
    priority care boost customer service
    *50G as hotspot via your phone!*

    i use JUST my phone as a hotspot & i stream movies, tv shows, music videos etc, plus the usual email, shopping, browsing, etc. if i run out at the end of the month, i just start a fresh month a little early…it’s still better than any other plan i’ve found. i haven’t seen cheaper anywhere…especially for an established/non-scamTastic provider! if any1 has seen better, please share. 😄

    Reply
57. John Ray

    I’m looking for unlimited wifi hotspot data no throttle. Netgear 815s already have a new sim card never been activated. How much is a unlimited plan?

    Reply
58. Jason Lee

    I ran across a service from netbuddy . co. $60 a month they will either ship you an ATT SIM or you can activate a SIM that runs on ATT’s network from any place you can find one. I used a $1 SIM from Tracfone at my local grocery store. I use it in an MR1100 Netgear router for internet in my RV available at Best Buy without contract and no pressure to activate it. I’ve downloaded over 500GB in a day though it with no sign of throttling. I have been able to stream in 4K using it. The activation message that came through to the hotspot looks like it is a prepaid plan and allocates 10TB data allowance. Worth checking out if ATT is good in your area. If you search around you can get a coupon for the first month. They accept payment through PayPal too which made me feel safer since I didn’t have to worry about giving up my credit card number.

    Reply
    • Ryan

      Was this netbuddy.com and is that data allowance for 1 month or total life of the contract 10 terrabytes seems by any scope excessive not that I’ll complain IF this is valid! Thx for the reply

      Reply
    • Jay

      Netbuddy.co and OTRmobile.com seem to offer the same service. $60/mo for unlimited “no throttling”. What are the differences and are they really AT&T resellers or have they just found a loophole in an AT&T data plan that may be closed at some point without notice?

      Reply
59. JiM

    I have had grandfathered in ATT unlimited data $30 mo for years. love it. Run 8 streams at a time with our zte. Love it.

    Reply
    • forbryn

      go ahead …rub it in, ya show-off. haha 😆😆😆😆

      Reply
60. RYAN PROPST

    2/5/19. i am looking at purchasing the nighthawk hotspot by netgear Which is the hotspot mentioned above by cy for ATT. It’s better to purchase it out right unlocked as it will work on any carrier but is ATT still offering the $80 100gig plan I called today as I’ve ordered the night hawk from a different source for $149 and want to get this ATT plan for 100 gig unless anyone else knows of a better place (they sell the nighthawk unlocked for $199) . For T-Mobile and agree the data prices here are crazy insane. I lived in Australia for 11 years, recently moved back to the US in the south and it’s ridiculously pricey.

    Reply
61. tony kelts

    PCs for People has the best prices for mobile hotspot internet. I pay about $15 a month. ($45 for 3 months) I stream Amazon Prime for $6 a month. I use data like water. (40+ gb per month) That is: PCs for People dot org (check them out)

    Reply
62. Bobby

    Unlimitedville uses the “big 4” and is completely unlimited….I used it for a year and it was a great service

    Reply
63. James R Antle

    Anyway you look at it we’re all getting the shaft always was talk when it says unlimited 2 it means Unlimited this other crap on it just for money no such thing as free unlimited hotspot………….

    Reply
64. Vince

    Guys stop paying phone limited junk just call cable company get REAL unlimited everything. For 30 $

    Reply
65. tonyk1964

    I get my internet from pcsforpeople.org The price is the lowest in the USA. It is a little slow at the house but it does stream Amazon Prime so I don’t use any TV service other than Amazon Prime. The main service is Sprint and it is unlimited internet. Check out pcsforpeople.org

    Reply
66. ZoeH

    In SOMA (SF) — I’m looking for maybe 5 hours of light use a month on a laptop, downloading/uploading some work files and sending emails. I don’t need unlimited — I just need cheap access for some occasional work in a location that has no wifi. I love the thought of something that was more pay-for-use, and didn’t have a flat monthly charge, since occasionally I won’t need the service at all some months.

    Reply
67. Tony

    pcsforpeople.org unlimited mobile hotspot less than $15 per month. I watch Amazon Prime on mine. I take it in the car, i use it at home and I am using it right now.

    Reply
68. Rob

    Afaik, the only issue with pcsforpeople.org is that not just anybody can sign up for it, with credit card in hand, like with any of the other companies offering hotspots. From what I read on their site, you have to be “financially” eligible to be with pcsforpeople.

    Reply
69. Tony

    Well, if you are rich enough to not be eligible for pcsforpeople.org…then you don’t need to be looking for cheapest hotspot plans. Must be nice to be RICH. I have no idea what that is like. I had to work while disabled to get my work credits to get my disability income. I didn’t get to be able to go to college or inherit tons of money.

    Reply
70. Butch

    I feel your pain. Looked and looked all over for some deal on an actual data plan I can use at my house. I have found only one company who was honest with me. The tech actually took the time to see if I could get service. Luckily, I could. He sent me the signal “heat” map and a map of where the towers were around me, so I could place the device I chose, in the right direction for the best speeds. Compared to all the $150.00 to $200.00 “unlimited” plans they were reasonable. So I got a router, a MIMO antenna and the plan. Did not have to send back the equipment. It worked out of the box. You might want to give this company a try. Their plans range from $75.00 for the commercial plan to around $100.00 if you want a static IP and no charges for international roaming.

    Reply
71. Rob

    Is doesn’t matter how rich you are if you’re looking for cheap mobile hotspot plans. Some of those rich’er people will always try to look for bargains. Ever heard of a miser? Some people get “rich” that way, by decreasing their expenses. What pcsforpeople offers is extraordinary, but you still have to be eligible, hence the reason their prices are extraordinary. It’s sort of a catch-22. I am happy that it serves those who are eligible. I am not “rich” myself, but I am above their level of eligibility so am probably not able to be accepted. Local public free wi-fi, for me, is one way to alleviate the issue of paying for too much. Obviously you are limited on public wi-fi, depending on who hosts it, but you can get most things done.
    The era of the internet mobile hotspot is still in its infancy, about only a decade has passed since it really started, being integrated in a smartphone device. You gotta thank Motorola on inventing cellular technology in the early 1970’s for progressing the technology of the phone, even though it took a century to get to that point. There is no smartphone, internet & mobile hotspot today without that history. But hopefully mobile hotspots will just get more prevalent as time marches on & people will demand cheaper prices. Right now my smartphone is serving me as a hotspot, even though it’s only at 2G speed, which is roughly 3 times faster than 56k dialup. And yes, I can also still fall back on 56k dialup, as last resort. But again, if I can find something better for myself that I can willingly pay for, I will keep looking.

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72. Robyn Brown

    Karma Mobility is the WORST. They promised unlimited plans in 2015-16, then couldn’t deliver which is fine, but not what people signed up for. They admitted their error and offered refunds, and three years later they still have not refunded me the $270.00 after I already sent back my device. They continue to tell me I’m in a queue, but three years is a little excessive to wait for a refund. I can’t stand liars and thieves.

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73. garr

    OTR mobile advertises unlimited 4G LTE for $60/mo. This may become more common as 5G is rolled out.

    https://www.otrmobile.com/

    I’m going to try it out, if nobody else here has already.

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74. Tony K

    Tell us how that otr mobile works out. Ask them if they are going to be upgrading to 5g in the near future. If I was not already getting the deal I have, I would most likely try OTR mobile.

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75. Mark

    I just bought a package deal from onlinewirelessmall.com it has a velocity hotspot with SIM and a 45$ a month unlimited data plan. So far I love it, they claim it’s a business plan with unlimited data and no throttling. That is yet to be proven as I’ve only had it a week. I went with extremely poor Wi-Fi (1-3 mbps) to (20-40 mbps) I run 2 roku tv’s, 2 firesticks a computer and the kids ipads, with no problem. I can’t wait to take it on the road this summer. Liked it so much I bought another for my daughter and her family. It does what phone tethering cant. Phone could never hookup tv and sticks. Also the plan is a no contract prepay as you go cancel or reup at your convenience..

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76. Mark

    Update, I’ve checked and we have used 72 and in 4 days with no slowdown!

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77. JR

    I pay 65$ a month for wifi hotspot- unlimited from AT&T for my first year. My year will be up in August 2019. Then it will change to their regular price. Which I believe is 75$. I lived in such a small town, most businesses do not recognize the addresses as real. We had PO Boxes instead of direct mail. AT&T was the only internet service available. So I signed up for the ZTE Velocity wireless hot spot plan. I have moved 3 times to different small towns. Going through the mountains in Colorado, it worked in most spots except where there was no wireless access. The towns out here run off of Verizon & AT&T towers. I can be on my laptop or phone, & watch my Roku Stick on my TV. For being in the mountains & other small town areas, it works pretty good considering the alternatives. Which are few & far between. Did I mention it was unlimited? So no constant refilling of GB, and I am always doing something online. I love being able to bring it with me in the car, especially since I need to use google maps to get around. The only time it doesn’t work is where there are no towers. Sometimes storms can be an issue. That would be my only complaint with it. It can slow down service, or if the tower is hit with lightning, take it out completely. Sadly I don’t get 5 bars where I live. But I still can use my devices. Up to 10 devices are allowed.

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78. Canelo Forum

    T-Mobile was ok but they started charging too much for hotspot…i download around 600gb a month..lol

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79. Jason

    Sorry but none of this is even worth getting to me. I typically use 100-200Gb data per month on hotspot because there’s no other way to get internet at home without spending a fortune to get cables run out to my house. But if I were to buy any of these with the proper plan that fits my needs, I would be spending $1,000-$2,000+ per month, which is just absolutely absurd. I have other bills and things to pay, I cant afford to spend the entirety of all my checks on just internet alone.

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80. Heather Reiff

    Do you accept Q6 phones from Boost?

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81. Jim Procter

    Jim de panama, I read Richards chat. I live in the interior of panama el cope cocole. I use my iPhone hotspot.does anyone know of an option?
    Thank you and Richard you have any ideas?

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82. forbryn

    hi, Jason…

    with Boost plan, i just restart when i’ve gone thru the 50gb, usually ends up 160/month for me.

    you would get 200gb/month for 320.00 flat. it’s still a lot, but still best deal i’ve found. and much better than 1,000 – 2,000/month. if u decide to check it out, i’d be happy to fill u in on a couple of boost’s little “glitches” to avoid.

    https://www.boostmobile.com/plans/ultimate-unlimited

    :)

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83. forbryn

    hi, Mark

    i went to their site and didn’t see Velocity plans/products anywhere…do u happen to have a link?

    thanks, either way

    :)

    Reply
84. Gypsy Wireless

    Come visit us today at https://gypsywireles.com!
    We have Fully Unlimited Mobile Hotpsots for $60 a month! Unlimited 4G LTE No data caps! No throttling! No contracts! No Credit Checks! Nationwide Service!

    Reply
85. Tony K

    I looked at https://gypsywireless.com They look like a good option if you can’t qualify for pcsforpeople.org

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86. Paul Phillips

    There is a little known / talked about service for affordable unlimited & unthrottled service on Sprint network due to their purchase of Clear in 2013.

    This service is “Mobile Citizen” which is then resold through various non-profits.
    One most notable example of a non-profit reselling this low cost service is The Calyx Institute.

    Beware! There have been several non-profits that have resold this service that for unknown reasons have vanished. Calyx Institute is one of the originals and is (as of writing this) one of the few that are operational that I am aware of.

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87. Tony K

    I know about Calyx. pcsforpeople.org the cheapest of the Sprint network but Calyx might be a good option for anybody that itemizes tax deductions and are not able to fall into the guidelines at pcsforpeople.org.

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88. Bob

    Who ever made this needs more facts obviously they dont know I currently have t mobile and I have unlimited 3g hotspot not to be confused with unlimited 4g LTE phone data two separate things for the most part the unlimited 3g runs like its 4g I play games on it and watch and upload videos on the 3g hotspot connection good job to whoever made this

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89. Greg

    If you are within US Cellular range, I’m getting unlimited (160GB / Month before it starts to slow down) for $100 / month.

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90. Roger

    FreedomPop appears to have gone out of business. I was a customer for last couple of years using a mobile hotspot when traveling. For me their 500MB plan was fine. But they just kicked me and many others out the door with no warning. Not even a sorry we screwed you. Told me to simply switch to TING/Sprint Ting doesn’t seem to support mobile hotspot. Sprint wanted me to pay 500% price increase even though they still advertise a low or $0 cost 500 MB plan don’t expect to be able to sign up for it.

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91. Sole

    Dont get Boost!!! Boost runs off Sprint network, which is the weakest of all four (AT&T, T-MOBILE and VERIZON being the others). Boost offers unreliable coverage and tons of limitations. You have been warned.

    Reply
92. The-ace-man-cometh

    Lamb wireless is my hotspot choice. They use AT&T towers. Purely unlimited data for $60 a month. With no contracts. Sometimes i use 250 gigabytes a month with no thrrottling. I think i read the cap was 500 gigs. But who could use that? The only downside is that the first month, you have to buy the device too( About $160 for the device and service for the first month, then $60 a month after. They also offer verizon service for $70 a month, same thing…unlimited data. If you want a better hot spot device, there is one on sale for anout $200.

    Reply
93. steve donato

    Your Prices Need updating. T-Mobil offers hotspot and Tethering 22GB data unlimited on phone for $70.00/month all tax and fees included. A flat $70/month

    Reply
94. KnifeDancer

    Thank you for breaking these down! I’m a light data user (1GB or less, no streaming) but I recently got into Pokemon GO with a friend a few times a week. Since I have an old basic Nokia phone without the bells and whistles (not a fan of smartphones) on T-Mobile, I use my Fire tablet to play. Normally we use his smartphone as a hotspot but I have no way to play when he goes out of town. I’m looking for a mobile hotspot device with a low cost plan for the occasional use. Are there any prepay, no contract, mobile ways out there? Besides upgrading my phone? T-Mobile has a $72 device but I think it needs a plan to be used. Verizon has a $40 prepay device but I have no idea if there is a catch. Might use maybe 2GB/month to play and I would rather be month-to-month so I can pay when I need it. [8/17/19]

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95. Brandi P

    I have two services with OTR Mobile after a neighbor recommended it to me. I have the Nighthawk device and I highly recommend it. I also posted a review on their website so you can go there and read more reviews. Internet service is great. The wait to reach customer service is ridiculous but worth the wait for such good service at a reasonable price. I had satellite internet before and there is no comparison. I can live stream with OTR.

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96. Roger M.

    Information is out of date. $80 for a Hotspot from Karma is not a good deal. FreedomPop no longer offers Mobile hotspot plans

    Reply
97. Don

    I got 50GB Mobile hotspot and unlimited everything else for $80 mo. I switched because I had wifi for free.

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98. Edwin

    Talk about pricey!! I’ve checked out unlimitedville (thanks Scarlett!). While googling we also found http://www.infiniteltedata.com. Has anyone used them? Looking for any and all info or help! We are a family of 4. We use tons of data…. 2 phones (we already have unlimited data on our phones but it slows after so much GB, our carrier is at&t), Netflix, Hulu, PS4 online gaming… lots of gadgets! T-Mobile is the BEST

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99. Jason Voorheis

    I can’t believe it’s 2019 and wireless data is still metered out in such paltry amounts for so much $. This is what a oligopoly coupled with anti-consumer lobbying gets us: We’re paying way more for much crappier service than basically all of Europe and most of the rest of the world.

    Reply
100. Aimee S

     I recently purchased a hotspot from Mightywifi. It was $159 for the hotspot and one month of 50GB. And then it is $50 a month to refill the 50GB. We have been using it for 10 days so far and it is working great. My son has used it to play on his Xbox one and I used it to stream netflix, both worked well. This might be an alternative for some of you.

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101. Margaret

     need some advice – I have a son who is going to be in the hospital for a bit (bone marrow transplant) he likes to play online on his switch but can’t connect to internet on switch due to hospital wifi firewalls – I’m looking at getting him a mobile hotspot just for the hospital (Cincinnatti, OH) which network /mobile hotspot should I go with ?

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102. Nicole

     I have T Mobile. Everything is unlimited…. until of course, I hit my limit.

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103. Paul Baker

     I use Visible which is owned by Verizon. Visible has unlimited data with a 5 mbps cap and you can use as much data as you wish for $40 per month taxes and fees included no contract, prepaid. No other carrier touches that. My data usage averages around 300GB per month. Watch a lot of movies, you tube etc using my Roku)Currently (writing this on 10/28/19) Visible has, for a limited time, dropped the 5 cap for new and existing customers. As Visible is prepaid it is subject to throttling and network management in prime times giving priority to Verizon first responders and post paid customers. But, in other than heavy usage times of the day I get as much as 80mbps down and as much as 20nbos up. At times I do get brief buffering but not a deal breaker. Forgot to mention that the free hotspot powers my tv, and 2 other devices. Have had the plan since it started in April of 2018. When you consider I was paying Comcast and Cricket Wireless $165 a month for internet and phone and now find myself with only a $40 per month prepaid bill for internet and arguably the best phone network out there…well I have, to say the least, been quite pleased. Important to understand I have excellent Verizon service where I live. No stores, sales rep salaries and overhead expenses thus the $40 bucks a month. Everything is handled through the Visible app so it may not be for everyone. Works on Iphones and some Android phones.

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104. James A Crabtrey

     For those traveling, especially with children Amazon and Netflix you can download the movies onto device and watch them without WiFi

     Reply
105. George M

     Unlimited4Gdata.com has very good customer service and they resell AT&T unlimited data plans same as Netbuddy and OTR Mobile but their availability and responsiveness is very fast.

     Reply
106. Devon Matthew Robbers

     I have been using OTR Mobile for almost a year. Trully unlimited no throttling no data caps at all. Use it as my home internet (I live in a rural area) Highly recommend!

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107. Bill Martin

     Hey all. Hope everyone has a happy holiday season.
     I have the best plan ever.
     4 lines unlimited talk/text/data.
     30 gb hotspot per line
     Free phones with port in of number
     Free hd video streaming
     For $120.00 per month
     Thats $30.00 per line unlimited everything basically..
     Through boost. Unless something really bad happens were boost lifers…

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108. Tony

     I got 2 free phones and 2 free tablets. We use 200gb of data. We get great 4g LTE. $139 a month. T-Mobile.

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109. Jane

     I also use PCsforPeople.org for internet service which is income-based. You prepay for service ranging from $16 monthly to $11.35 for 12-months prepaid. I purchased the 12-month plan plus their wifi hotspot ($80, one-time purchase) for a total of $221 with tax for one-year. Sprint blankets my area. My former internet provider, Spectrum, has low-cost internet service, but you have to jump through hoops to get it and it is significantly more than $11.35 monthly. As long as I can use PCsforPeople for internet service, I will.

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110. DEVRIN GUBLER

     There are a few things you must consider when choosing internet plans.
     First some questions to consider:
     1 Are you ready to say bye to cable or satellite internet?
     2 Are you a daily user?
     3 Do you stream standard def TV and movies?
     4 Looking to pay $50 a month or less?
     5 Can you put up with a reduction of speed?
     6 Are you a little savvy tech wise?
     There are listings on eBay that people will set you up with a way to get this for you. Or you can do it yourself.
     If you want to have someone do it for you search for the following
     AT&T Unlimited Data Plan.
     This is what we searched for and found several listings, chose one that was a 5 day test to see if it was what we wanted. Then we saw we could do it ourselves. Here’s how we did it and what you have to buy:
     1 Apple iPad.
     2 Huawei B310s Unlocked LTE modem USA version. About 70 bucks open box (there are other models but this is the most common).
     Also you will likely need to get a UK to USA plug adapter. About 5 bucks.
     3 AT&T DATA SIM CARD. About 10 bucks eBay or Amazon.
     Searching for the following site
     AT&T ipad service unlimited data will not bring up any results but it is what you will need to go to. Those interested just reply and we’ll share it.
     Once there click on Get your pass.
     First you will be asked to enter the IMEI of the iPad and the ICCID of the sim card.
     You will be asked to enter your credit card info. Also you will need to create an account with email and password. Then you will be asked what type of plan and you will choose
     Domestic Data Plan
     Data Plan:Unlimited MB for 30 days – LTE.
     It shouldn’t even take a few minutes for the system to set everything up. Once it does insert the sim card into the back of the modem plug it in. It will have the name of the connection and the password on the back sticker on the Huawei. You will have a new WiFi connection!
     Now we have had this setup since June 2019 several months so far. In all honesty it is not the speed of Cox, but no more of the issues like drops during bad weather, and the cost is less than half etc. It says unlimited which is true we have never had a cut of service. But we have experienced speed reductions and it sometimes is slow during prime time when streaming YouTube, Hulu, Netflix or Prime Video. But as of now this is the only way to get 200gb+ of decent internet wherever AT&T is available for under $50/ month!

     Reply
111. Paul

     Is Karma still in business? I have a Karma Go which I had used successfully last year. I only use it when my ISP goes down so Karma is only my backup. But now Karma is not working. I had not been able to ascertain if they are still alive.

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112. Marrianne

     We recently lost everything we owed, including the place to lived, long story, I won’t get into all the detail’s here. So that said, we had to get new phones and service. And we needed more data than just phone service hotspot plans offer. We had home Internet service with the local cable company prior, along with the phone hotspot on the old service plans provided. However we are living with a friend currently. And for some unknown reason our local Internet provider will not provide any internet service at all to his apartment, it has some type of permanent block on it the company said. And we were stuck using only our phones data plan we bought, and the hotspot on the plan for anything else we needed WiFi for. So as soon as we were able to we also bought a new mobile hotspot unlocked device. Well I did my homework and found straight talk wireless has a 30 day prepaid plan of data only for tablets and mobile hotspot devices for 100GB for 50$ and 10GB 25$ this is with a unlocked BYO device type plan. I checked to ensure that my device was compatible with their IMEI checker and then confirmed it with a customer service representative and all that is needed is to purchase a SIM card kit for 5 bucks and activate the card add the service data plan and you got hotspot on the fly 100GB for 50 bucks a month not bad and if you do autopay you can save a few more $ monthly, not to mention they also have a rewards program. I have decided this is the best option for us. Now we can use the mobile hotspot device and it’s data for our fire stick and laptop and phones and switch to a lower cost plan for the 1 phone now, get rid of the other phone plan all together and get a Obama phone plan for that line. I found the information here extremely useful. BTW straight talk runs on the Verizon network, and most phone plans include internal calling.

     Reply