Data Only Plan for Hotspot

[Anders]

Hi Everyone,

We are in BC Canada and will go south in a few days for 3 months or so. We will be staying in California and Arizona mostly.

Can anyone recommend a US provider that has an Unlimited Data Only Plan (no-contract) that is affordable so I don't have to take out a mortgage on the house

We use a hotspot when we travel and when in Europe we can get unlimited data for $1 per day. I know we are a very long way from finding such a plan in Canada. What is the situation in the USA?

Cheers, and thank you,

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Anders

Hi Everyone,

We are in BC Canada and will go south in a few days for 3 months or so. We will be staying in California and Arizona mostly.

Can anyone recommend a US provider that has an Unlimited Data Only Plan (no-contract) that is affordable so I don't have to take out a mortgage on the house

We use a hotspot when we travel and when in Europe we can get unlimited data for $1 per day. I know we are a very long way from finding such a plan in Canada. What is the situation in the USA?

Cheers, and thank you,

OTRMOBILE.com.

[Funengineer]

I’ve heard good things about Visable. It operates on the Verizon network, has unlimited everything all for $35/ month includes any tax and fees.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Funengineer

I’ve heard good things about Visable. It operates on the Verizon network, has unlimited everything all for $35/ month includes any tax and fees.

Visible okay for low volume users but cannot be used in a hotspot. Phone can be a reduced speed hotspot but only one connection allowed.

https://clark.com/cell-phones/visible-review/#hotspot

[mdstudey]

Check out Verizon. They have a pre-paid plans at different data usage. If you have your own hotspot there may be issues and may have to pay for new one. I don't know if you have a Best Buy in Canada but I am sure Bellingham has one. You may be able to buy an unlock hotspot there.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by Anders

Hi Everyone,

We are in BC Canada and will go south in a few days for 3 months or so. We will be staying in California and Arizona mostly.

Can anyone recommend a US provider that has an Unlimited Data Only Plan (no-contract) that is affordable so I don't have to take out a mortgage on the house

We use a hotspot when we travel and when in Europe we can get unlimited data for $1 per day. I know we are a very long way from finding such a plan in Canada. What is the situation in the USA?

Cheers, and thank you,

T-mobile has good prepaid options $25-$40/ month last I checked

[emm-dee]

The OP is looking for info about HOTSPOT plans. Unless something has changed in the past few days the only way a NEW customer can get unlimited data on a hotspot only device is OTR. Net buddy is not accepting new customers. None of the cellular providers offer unlimited data for hotspots.

Buyer beware...cell providers are moving ahead of used car and boat sales folks with very dishonest , although marginally legal, sales tactics.

[Anders]

Thank you everyone, great info as always.

Cheers,

[NXR]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

The OP is looking for info about HOTSPOT plans. Unless something has changed in the past few days the only way a NEW customer can get unlimited data on a hotspot only device is OTR. Net buddy is not accepting new customers. None of the cellular providers offer unlimited data for hotspots.

Buyer beware...cell providers are moving ahead of used car and boat sales folks with very dishonest , although marginally legal, sales tactics.

If you're an FMCA member they have a Sprint unlimited hotspot available for a one-time $39 rental fee and $50/month flat thereafter. That may be an option for you but I don't know how the whole Canadian thing will work, maybe the hotspot will just work in the USA. It is cancellable at any time with just the loss of the $39 rental fee.

I've used it for about five months and it has always given me coverage but sometimes it's weak.

The hotspot originally was the Franklin R910 but Sprint has now moved to the Inseego Mifi 8000, supposedly the same hardware as the Verizon Mifi 8800L.

My Franklin developed a swollen batter, which is supposedly not uncommon, and I was shipped the Mifi 8000 as a replacement a week ago. The Mifi can use an external antenna so I'm thinking about buying an external antenna for those weak areas.

https://www.amazon.com/Inseego-Hotsp.../dp/B07XYBWTP8

https://www.amazon.com/Inseego-Hotsp.../dp/B07XY7D6VS

https://www.amazon.com/Indoor-Outdoo.../dp/B07XY7XJM2

3db is a doubling of strength. 10db is a gain of ten times.

FWIW,

Ray

[sasch]

I found Rural Internet Services on Facebook - they use mostly ATT unlimited $35 per month - had this for 3 months used MI to S Texas and works great with good reliable speed and service

[boogiejack75]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

Visible okay for low volume users but cannot be used in a hotspot. Phone can be a reduced speed hotspot but only one connection allowed.

https://clark.com/cell-phones/visible-review/#hotspot

I have Visible. I haven't had it for long, but I have tested it by hooking the phone to my laptop and making the laptop a wireless hotspot. Seems to work fine. A travel router would do the same thing. I bought their $20 phone to demo the network and found it wont do wireless hotspot. Has to be connected by USB, so keep that in mind. $40/month, no contract.

[lucky55616]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

Visible okay for low volume users but cannot be used in a hotspot. Phone can be a reduced speed hotspot but only one connection allowed.

https://clark.com/cell-phones/visible-review/#hotspot

Dont be too quick to rule out Visible. There are other threads on here where people state they use Visible as their hotspot and have no problem streaming their favorite streaming services at high resolution to their RV TV's. Although Visible does limit the hotspot to one device, that one device can be a router which can in turn provide wifi service to many other devices. Visible now provides a party plan where you get unlimted voice, text and data for $25 per month inluding all taxes and fees. I only have one line but joined a party plan and get the $25 per month rate for unlimited everything. I realize the op asked for a data only plan, but the Visible plan also includes voice and text at a price that will be hard to beat by a data only plan.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

The OP is looking for info about HOTSPOT plans. Unless something has changed in the past few days the only way a NEW customer can get unlimited data on a hotspot only device is OTR. Net buddy is not accepting new customers. None of the cellular providers offer unlimited data for hotspots.

Buyer beware...cell providers are moving ahead of used car and boat sales folks with very dishonest , although marginally legal, sales tactics.

Your phone IS a hotspot, so what is your point?

[ross0547]

Hi!
We have Verizon for 35 Gigs pm but we brought our own old device, a 4GLTE. Still cost us $50 per month , plus a sign up fee, total $80. We have two weeks prior notice prior to returning to Canada to let them know to cancel. Interesting?? We have a two year old Samsung that they told us would not accept a new SIM card to allow International calling PLUS ability to use it as a Hotspot? HMMMM???

[REL]

Why not just use your phone as a hotspot?

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

Your phone IS a hotspot, so what is your point?

Sure, the phone is a hotspot but with restrictions. Ie, Verizon’s top unlimited plan allows 20 gig at LTE speeds but then throttles back to minus one mbps, which is about the same as 1990’s dial up. But, it is unlimited. 20 gig will last less than four days if doing a moderate amount of streaming.

True hotspot devices (VZ 8800 or AT&T Nighthawk) usually are subject to “management” after 22 gigs used but that’s temporary, rare and usually only lasts less than five minutes at a time. However, unless you have one of the older “grandfathered” plans you cannot get those types of plans.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

Sure, the phone is a hotspot but with restrictions. Ie, Verizon’s top unlimited plan allows 20 gig at LTE speeds but then throttles back to minus one mbps, which is about the same as 1990’s dial up. But, it is unlimited. 20 gig will last less than four days if doing a moderate amount of streaming.

True hotspot devices (VZ 8800 or AT&T Nighthawk) usually are subject to “management” after 22 gigs used but that’s temporary, rare and usually only lasts less than five minutes at a time. However, unless you have one of the older “grandfathered” plans you cannot get those types of plans.

I went on a six week trip...four phones which means four hot spots and no problems except where there is zero cell coverage. Worked great while driving from place to place, But we were RVing and camping, so “streaming” was not really a priority.

[-lenny-]

www.unlimitedinternetprovider.com

34.99 USD per month for unlimited data, on AT&T network.

[dave1650]

Originally Posted by -lenny-

www.unlimitedinternetprovider.com

34.99 USD per month for unlimited data, on AT&T network.

Do you use this service? If so are you satisfied that it works as advertised?

[-lenny-]

Originally Posted by dave1650

Do you use this service? If so are you satisfied that it works as advertised?

Just got it actually. Setup was pretty easy, and they have great support available. I’m currently only a couple hundred feet from Mexico, so our coverage isn’t the best with anything but it is better than the park wifi. Looking forward to testing it out when we get better coverage.


https://www.facebook.com/unlimitedinternetprovider/

They are very responsive to messages on FB, borrowed my wife’s account to chat with them. Lots of positive feedback too.