Mobile hotspots are awesome. They pack fast internet access into tiny, pocketable devices so you can stay connected wherever you go, but they vary in cost, speed, and reliability. With so many options in devices and carriers, you might end up paying for more than you need or getting too little and ending up with overages. What's the best way for you to get a affordable and reliable mobile hotspot? We decided to find out.
With the proliferation of 4G mobile technologies and the reduced cost of 3G data, mobile hotspots are no longer luxuries for business people and the wealthy. Anyone can pick up a portable device for under $100 and get service at a low cost, or even for free. You can even turn your smartphone into a Wi-Fi hotspot, negating the need for a separate device. It's a really great time to take advantage of mobile data, but there are so many options to make sense of and chances are you're not even aware of a few of them. In this post we're going to take a look at the best options for getting a mobile hotspot based on your needs.
For Casual Use or Backup Internet Access
Mobile hotspots have low data caps, so even if their speeds can match your hardwired connection, you won't be able to download hundreds of gigabytes without incurring serious overages. For people who live to download, a mobile hotspot won't be more than a supplemental device or something for casual use with, say, a tablet or laptop when away from home. Chances are you don't want to pay much (or anything) for a device you're only going to use a few times a month or in the event of an emergency. In the past you'd be out of luck, but now you have mobile broadband options that'll hardly cost you anything at all.
Freedompop
Freedompop offers 512MB of mobile broadband per month for absolutely nothing. You'll have to put down a refundable deposit of about $100 for a device, but if you send it back before the year is up in the condition you received it you'll get that money back (though you'll have to pay shipping). Freedompop also allows you to earn additional data by completing offers like signing up for car insurance information or answering a survey. You can also earn 500MB of data through referrals. If you'd rather pay, plans start at $10 per month for 1GB and work their way up to $60 per month for 10GB. Casual users will likely prefer the $18 per month plan, which will get you 2GB of data (plus any extra you earn).
Freedom Spot Photon 4G Mobile Hotspot (Black)
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Freedompop offers a delightfully tiny little hotspot as its flagship device, but you can also get little USB modems for your laptop and a data sleeve for your iPod touch (to effectively turn your iPod touch into an iPhone). Data is provided over Sprint's aging WiMax network, which offers speeds around 5-7mbps with coverage quality that highly depends on your area. (You can check coverage here.) Because the device only uses WiMax and can't fall back on 3G data, it may be completely useless to those in poor reception areas. If you get good coverage, however, it's a wonderfully free/cheap way to get online in a pinch.
Karma
Karma offers a very similar product to Freedompop. The hotspot hardware is essentially identical, but white in color, and data is provided via Sprint's WiMax network as well. The cost difference? Karma charges $79 for their hotspot and $14 for a 1GB of data. This may seem like a considerably worse deal, but it's not because of one interesting aspect: your data never expires. You don't pay $14 per month, but rather $14 for every gigabyte of data you use whenever you happen to use it. If you're not planning to use the service frequently, this is a great deal. Additionally, you can earn 100MB of free data by simply sharing your connection with others.
Karma suffers from the same network issues as Freedompop, as Sprint's WiMax coverage is inconsistent across the United States. Before you buy, make sure you're covered so you don't end up with a $79 pocketable brick.
Your Smartphone
If you already have a smartphone, you already have a (potentially free) mobile hotspot at your disposal. Modern Android and iPhones come with a built-in option to turn your cellular data connection into Wi-Fi for up to five other devices. On many plans this can cost up to $25 extra per month. While this nets you a fair amount of extra data, it's a hefty price to pay for using the limited data you've already purchased. Fortunately, you have a few workarounds.
PdaNet for Android and iPhone allows you to tether for the one-time cost of the app ($0-29), rather than a monthly fee. iPhone users will need to jailbreak, but Android owners just need to install the app. Some carriers pay attention to unauthorized tethering and may warn you to stop, but we've only seen this happen to people who still have unlimited data grandfathered into their plans. PdaNet can attempt to hide your tethering activity by serving up mobile sites instead of desktop ones, but that isn't necessarily ideal if you're tethering your phone to your laptop.
If you don't want to risk incurring the wrath of your carrier, some carriers actually offer free hotspot access if you have a shared data plan. To sign up for a shared data plan, you need more than one device (or it won't be cost-effective). If you don't share a plan with your family or significant other, find some friends and sign up with them. The more devices on your account, the cheaper each month will be for everyone. You'll have to do a little extra work to collect payments each month, but webapps like WePay help solve that problem.
Of course, with a shared data plan you'll need to actually share data. Most plans cap out at 20GB total, so you'll need to make sure that's going to be enough for all involved. If it is, check out what your carrier has to offer. AT&T provides a wonderful mobile share data plan calculator. Verizon has a similar offering. Multi-person plans at Sprint and T-Mobile offer unlimited data already, so sharing it is kind of irrelevant. Either way, you have options if you use a major carrier. Third-party carriers like Virgin Mobile, who resell Sprint's network, generally charge extra for a hotspot ($15/month in the case of Virgin), but not always. Ting, for example, offers free hotspot access on all supported phones regardless of your plan.
What it comes down to is this: if you're a casual user or just need mobile data for emergencies, you'll want to utilize a carrier that offers hotspots for free or via mobile share. If you're not, consider a tethering app instead.
For Moderate or Frequent Internet Access
When casual data usage won't cut it and you need as many gigabytes as you can get (or, at least, a lot of them), smaller carriers often won't do the trick. This makes picking the right one pretty difficult because you have many options and even more variables. When you're planning to use a lot of cellular data you want to know where you can get the most comprehensive coverage, the fastest speeds, and the most data for the cheapest price. (Fortunately, you don't have to figure out the best hardware because each carrier will stick you with their flagship mobile hotspot and call it a day). To figure out your best option, we're going to answer those questions.
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