Verizon 3g Mobile Hotspot Download Speed
This week, Verizon unveiled new unlimited data offerings for wireless customers. Unfortunately—for both consumers and those who insist on accuracy—none of its “unlimited” plans are actually unlimited.
Verizon now has a few different “unlimited” choices: The cheaper Go Unlimited monthly plan, the more expensive Beyond Unlimited monthly plan, an option for business customers, and a prepaid option. These plans all place limits on video quality (480p or 720p, depending on the plan), and some of them place limits on the speed of your connection. Verizon’s previous unlimited data plan, which placed no limits on video quality but would throttle your bandwidth once you hit the 10GB-per-month mark, is no longer available to new customers. Verizon customers who have that older unlimited plan will be able to keep it, but they will also see their video quality limited to a maximum of 720p, just like everyone else on the network.
Download Speeds On Mobile Hotspot
Verizon famously launched its all-you-can-eat monthly plan in February. In doing so, it forced other carriers to restructure their own unlimited data plans to compete. This resulted in a net positive effect for consumer choice in cellular data. Since then however, Verizon has begun stepping back its offerings by forcing lower-quality video streams and imposing speed limits for its cheaper plans. It’s possible the other carriers will follow Verizon’s lead once again and start downgrading video (some already do) and being less generous with their data plans in general.
Internet on the Go is a mobile hotspot offered by Walmart (in partnership with TruConnect Mobile, an MVNO on Sprint's 3G (not 4G, although they say it's coming soon) network. Internet on the Go. GlocalMe G3 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. Speed: 150 Mbps download speed / 50. It supports a wide range of LTE and 3G networks from around the world, so be sure to check before you make the purchase.
Right now, all four major carriers—and some lower-priced virtual mobile networks—now have an unlimited data plan of some kind. There are major differences in terms of pricing, qualifications, and data-throttling. Here’s how they all shake out.
Verizon Go Unlimited
3g Mobile Hotspot Speed
Price: $75 per month and up
The fine print: The amount of 4G LTE data is unlimited, but your speed could be throttled at any time, no matter how much you’ve downloaded so far this month, if Verizon’s network is experiencing congestion. Whether the network is congested is entirely up to Verizon to determine. Video quality is limited to 480p on mobile phones and 720p on tablets. You can’t watch any 1080p video on this plan. Mobile hotspot capability is unlimited, but speeds are throttled to 600 kbps.
Best for: Mobile hotspot users and video junkies who don’t mind being stuck with DVD-quality streams.
Verizon Beyond Unlimited
Price: $85 per month and up
The fine print: The amount of 4G LTE data is unlimited, but your speed could be throttled once you hit the 22GB mark for the month. Video quality is limited to 720p on phones and 1080p on tablets. Mobile hotspot capability is unlimited for the first 15GB, but speeds are throttled after that.
Best for: Mobile workers who rely heavily on tethering, and video streamers who gotta have their HD.
AT&T Unlimited Choice
Price: $70 per month and up
The fine print: AT&T’s cheapest unlimited plan gives you all the data you want at 3Mbps speeds until you hit the 22GB mark. After that, it could throttle your data speeds further during periods of congestion. Video is limited to 480p. Mobile hotspot capability isn’t part of the plan.
Best for: People who never tether and are OK with DVD-quality video.
AT&T Unlimited Plus
Price: $100 per month and up
The fine print: AT&T’s more expensive unlimited plan gives you all the data you want at unthrottled 4G speeds until you hit the 22GB mark. After that, you’re throttled during periods of congestion. Video streams in 720p. Mobile hotspots work at full speed for the first 10GB. After that, hotspots are throttled to 128kbps, which is throw-it-out-the-window slow, totally unusable. But hey, you get free HBO with this plan, just like a hotel room.
Best for: Those who insist on HD video, tetherers, and Insecure addicts.
T-Mobile
Price: $70 per month
The fine print: The good news is that all taxes and fees are lumped into that $70 price, and you get a free hour of Gogo in-flight internet when you’re on a plane. You’ll need to sign up for auto-pay. If you use a ton of data every month (we’re talking the top three percent of data hogs), your speed may be throttled. In response to Verizon’s unlimited relaunch, T-Mobile added mobile-hotspot service and HD streaming to its own plan. Hotspots are limited to 10GB and 3G speeds, and videos “typically” stream in HD.
Best for: This still appears to be the best all-around deal. Plus, you’ll know exactly what you’ll be charged every month.
Cricket Wireless
Price: $55 per month
The fine print: You’ll need to activate auto-pay for that lowest price; otherwise it’s $60. Download speeds are capped at 8Mbps, which is slower than the US average. Just like other carriers, Cricket will throttle you further after you hit the 22GB mark for the month. Doesn’t include mobile hotspot capability.
Best for: Getting unlimited AT&T data coverage at a much lower price.
Sprint
Price: $50 per month and up
The fine print: You’ll need to activate auto-pay; otherwise it’s $55. Video resolution is capped at 480p. Doesn’t include mobile hotspot service.
Best for: Those who want the lowest-priced “Big Four” unlimited plan.
Boost Mobile
Price: $50 per month and up
The fine print: Video is capped at 480p unless you pay an extra $20 per month for HD streaming. Music streamed from Spotify, Pandora, and iHeart Radio doesn’t count toward your monthly data—although that’s really more of a perk for data-limited plans.
Best for: Those who are fine with Sprint’s coverage, but also want mobile hotspot for the same price.
US Cellular
Price: $50 per month (plus fees and taxes)
The fine print: Your data speeds start throttling back after just 500MB. Doesn’t include mobile hotspot capability.
Best for: Hard to say. Boost and Sprint are better options due to the low cap for throttling.
Google Project Fi
Price: No unlimited data plan; $20 for unlimited talk and text, plus $10 per GB of monthly data (plus fees and taxes). Only available on Nexus and Pixel phones.
Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.Who Needs a Hotspot?
4G LTE networks are better than ever, and with 5G on the horizon, wireless web surfing can be faster than your home Wi-Fi connection. While most modern smartphones have a hotspot mode for occasional use, cellular modems and Wi-Fi hotspots are your best and most flexible option if you have a lot of devices you want to share web access with.
Hotspots can connect more than just laptops to the web. They'll work just fine with a tablet, a camera, and pretty much any other Wi-Fi-enabled device. They support more devices at one time than your phone's hotspot mode, don't drain your phone's battery, they can be hooked up to better antennas than your phone has available, and they can have separate service plans paid for by your company.
Here's what you need to know to pick the right service and hardware, along with the top-rated hotspots we've tested, and even an international option.
You'll notice that there are no T-Mobile hotspots on this list. In our view, T-Mobile doesn't offer any high-quality hotspots that take advantage of all of its network capabilities. On T-Mobile, your best bet is to use hotspot mode from a phone.
Should You Wait for 5G?
I was far too optimistic about 5G the last time I updated this roundup. While we've seen limited 5G rollouts in 2019, they haven't been reliable, citywide, or transformative. And the coverage and device situation is messy: initial devices only handle some, not all, of the frequencies the carriers will use.
That said, I've put two 5G hotspots in this roundup, for Sprint and Verizon. If you're in their very limited coverage areas, you'll find about a 3x jump over LTE speeds with Sprint, and gigabit-plus speeds on Verizon. But these hotspots are expensive and bulky, and they don't have the truly unlimited service plans I was hoping to see from 5G. I think it's safe to stick with 4G for now. It isn't going away any time soon.
Hotspots Can't Replace Home Internet
Wireless broadband isn't for everyone. It costs much more per byte than a home DSL or cable setup. Plans range from 'free' for 500MB per month with FreedomPop on Sprint's network (you'll need to buy a hotspot), up to $100 or more. The best balance of price and data right now is Sprint's 100GB deal for $60 per month.
The average US home broadband subscriber uses more than 190GB of data per month, mostly because of video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. So if your needs don't involve video or music streaming, a wireless hotspot may be a viable alternative for your home. But if they do, you'll find you become quickly frustrated by the data bucket limits.
So who's using 4G hotspots, for now? First and foremost, it's road warriors—business people who need reliable connections on the go that support multiple devices and don't drain their phones' batteries. Hotspot plans can be affordable alternatives to hotel or convention hall Wi-Fi, and they're more secure and reliable than public Wi-Fi in coffee shops. Vacation home and RV owners may also enjoy hotspots to light up their roaming, part-time homesteads. And small businesses that don't use a lot of data (for instance, ones that primarily use POS systems) may find hotspots a good alternative to a wired connection.
Comparing the Carriers
Hotspots are available from all four nationwide carriers, as well as several virtual operators that use the larger carriers' networks. Our Fastest Mobile Networks feature compares carrier speeds and coverage in 30 major cities across the US. In general, AT&T and Verizon lead on speeds right now.
Along with the four major carriers, you can get hotspots from Boost (Sprint), FreedomPop (Sprint), H2O (AT&T), Karma (Sprint), and Net10 (Verizon), along with a few other minor players. Expect to pay $20 to $25 per month for 2GB of data, $40 to $50 for 5GB, and $50 to $90 for 10GB.
If you're just looking to use a hotspot without tying it to your existing carrier line, the best overall deal is Sprint's aforementioned $60, 100GB plan. But for most people, the best idea is to add your hotspot line to your existing carrier's phone plan, as a separate line. That will get you the most data for your dollar.
Be aware that if you have an unlimited data plan, that may not carry over to hotspots. If you add a hotspot onto an 'unlimited' plan, you'll get 15 to 20GB of high-speed data with Verizon, 22GB to 23GB of high-speed data with AT&T and Sprint, and 50GB with T-Mobile, but after that your data will be deprioritized, or unpredictably slowed. The Sprint and T-Mobile
The Best Hotspot Hardware
The four carriers have been frantically upgrading their networks recently, and in many cases, network capabilities have now outstripped the quality of older hotspots running on them. That means recent phones will get better speeds than older hotspots do.
The best hotspots use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X20 or X24 modems, which you'll find in the MiFi 8800, MiFi 8800L, and HTC 5G Hub. Those are capable of hitting every network feature that carriers have to offer. Other hotspots out there, including everything Sprint, T-Mobile, and the virtual carriers currently sell, use three- or four-year-old modems that have lower speeds and worse signal strength than the best new phones. That means you may get 5Mbps to 10Mbps where your phone gets 25Mbps to 30Mbps, for instance.
High-quality hotspots also have TS9 external antenna ports to help you improve your signal using inexpensive antennas you can purchase online. TS9 is a standard, and these antennas cost much less than a cellular signal booster does.
Make sure your hotspots support 5GHz Wi-Fi, which is typically faster and less congested than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Some hotspots also support guest networks and access controls, such as MAC filtering and time-based access controls. Those features are on pretty much all dedicated routers nowadays, but you can't take them for granted on mobile hotspots.
Hotspots with big batteries can be used as power banks to charge your phone, and hotspots with microSD card slots can be used as tiny servers to share media on their Wi-Fi networks. That said, we've never found a real use for that media server functionality.
We really like the displays on the front of many current hotspots. They can report the strength of your signal, your hotspot's name, data usage, and the network password right on the device.
To Tether or Not to Tether?
If you decide to make the jump, hotspots and cellular modems aren't the only
To help narrow down your decision, head over to our explainer on the tethering vs. dedicated hotspot debate. And check out our tips on how to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Beware: Overseas Surfing Will Cost You
Traveling soon? US hotspots generally allow you to roam in Canada and Mexico, although rates may be high—definitely check with your carrier in advance to find out. For short trips further abroad, we recommend renting the
It's surprisingly hard to find an unlocked hotspot with global LTE bands in the US, so if you want to go the route where you buy a local SIM to take advantage of much lower local data rates, your best choice is to use the hotspot function on your phone.
And before you commit to a modem or a plan, make sure to check out our most recent hotspot reviews.
Best Mobile Hotspots Featured in This Roundup:
Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (AT&T) Review
MSRP: $199.99Pros: Fastest hotspot hardware available. Excellent access controls. Long battery life.
Cons: Heavy. No touch screen.
Bottom Line: The Nighthawk for AT&T is the first hotspot to support gigabit LTE, the fastest LTE standard currently available.
Read ReviewMiFi 8000 Mobile Hotspot (Sprint) Review
MSRP: $240.00Pros: Reasonably priced. Excellent 4G performance. Long battery life.
Cons: No 5G. No Band 71 in case of T-Mobile merger.
Bottom Line: The MiFi 8000 is the best 4G hotspot you can get on Sprint. It will keep you connected for at least the next year.
Read ReviewVerizon Jetpack MiFi 8800L Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: Fastest 4G LTE technologies. Long battery life. Easy-to-use touch-screen UI.
Cons: 5G is on the horizon.
Bottom Line: The new Verizon Jetpack MiFi 8800L hotspot has the best 4G LTE networking capabilities available today-but Verizon is about to launch a 5G network that could change everything.
Read ReviewRoaming Man G3 Global 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot Review
MSRP: $139.99Pros: High speeds. Reliable connectivity. Large battery. Can charge other devices.
Cons: No rental option. Big and heavy.
Bottom Line: The Android-powered Roaming Man G3 is a fast and reliable hotspot for 4G international usage.
Read ReviewHTC 5G Hub (Sprint) Review
MSRP: $600.00Pros: First 5G hotspot for Sprint. Good battery life. Long Wi-Fi range. Handsome design.
Cons: Expensive. Uneven Google Assistant UI. Sprint's future and strategy are currently unclear.
Bottom Line: The HTC 5G Hub is the first dedicated hotspot for sharing Sprint's new network with up to 20 devices, but it's not a viable alternative to traditional internet just yet.
Read ReviewVerizon 5G MiFi M1000 Review
MSRP: $649.99Pros: First 5G hotspot for Verizon. Doesn't overheat as easily as phones. Supports lots of devices via wired and wireless connections.
Cons: Service plan doesn't justify the price. Connected devices maxed out at 350Mbps in testing. Poor global roaming.
Bottom Line: The MiFi M1000 is Verizon's first and only 5G hotspot, but it's expensive and doesn't offer big-enough service plans to change how you do business.
Read Review