Hey there! If you‘re fed up with cable companies and looking for alternative ways to get internet access at home, you may be considering using your smartphone‘s mobile hotspot capability paired with an unlimited data plan.
In this guide just for you, we‘ll take an in-depth look at how feasible it really is to use a mobile hotspot as your full-time residential broadband replacement in 2023.
What Exactly Is a Mobile Hotspot?
First, let‘s quickly cover what a mobile hotspot even is for those who may be unfamiliar with the term.
A mobile hotspot utilizes your phone‘s cellular data connection to provide a portable Wi-Fi network that other devices can connect to. So whether you have a tablet, laptop, streaming stick or other gadget that needs internet access, your phone can share its mobile data plan via Wi-Fi to give them access on the go.
By turning your device into a miniature wireless router, a mobile hotspot allows any Wi-Fi-capable device to get online anywhere you have cellular signal, without needing a public Wi-Fi network.
Now let‘s explore your options for plans that support using a phone‘s mobile hotspot feature.
Unlimited Mobile Hotspot Plans Comparison
To use your phone as a mobile hotspot for extended periods, an unlimited data plan is pretty much required. All major wireless carriers now offer various "unlimited" plans.
But if you read the fine print, virtually every carrier plan still technically has limits – often in the form of reduced data speeds after you use a set amount of full-speed high-definition data each month.
For the purposes of using a hotspot at home for streaming, gaming, video calls and typical internet usage, we‘ll be focusing on the initial monthly allowance of full-speed data before any speed restrictions kick in.
Let‘s see how the top plans available from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and some lower-cost prepaid carrier options compare when using them primarily as home internet replacements via a mobile hotspot.
Verizon
| Plan | Monthly Price | Hotspot Data | 5G Access | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get More Unlimited | $90 | 50GB | Yes | Faster average speeds | Premium price |
| Prepaid Unlimited | $65 | 30GB | Yes | More affordable | Lower priority data |
Verizon has the most robust 5G coverage nationwide thanks to their early and aggressive buildout of speedy mmWave 5G. While availability is still very limited, peak download speeds can rival and even beat typical cable internet speeds.
More importantly for reliability however is their fast-expanding, if still rather sparse as of early 2023, coverage using C-band and other mid-band spectrum. This offers a good balance of speed and coverage as their 5G network matures.
Keep in mind that all unlimited plans do limit video to 1080p streaming resolution. Their pricier Get More plan also includes 50% off connected device plans you may want to use with a hotspot device itself.
AT&T
| Plan | Monthly Price | Hotspot Data | 5G Access | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Elite | $85 | 40GB | Yes | Free HBO Max Large 5G coverage | Can suffer some congestion |
| Unlimited Extra | $75 | 20GB | Yes | Lower monthly cost | Significant speed reductions after limit |
AT&T has focused heavily on expanding 5G coverage over the past two years, though a sizeable chunk relies on the slower but more reliable low-band spectrum for now. Their maximum download speeds can‘t quite match Verizon on average.
Unlimited Elite includes useful perks like free HBO Max access. But with a video resolution capped at 1080p and significant speed reductions after 40GB when using as a home hotspot, their next step down Unlimited Extra plan becomes tougher to recommend despite the lower monthly fees.
T-Mobile
| Plan | Monthly Price | Hotspot Data | 5G Access | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magenta MAX | $85 | 40GB | Yes | Value priced for features Smooth streaming | Congestion in dense areas |
| Essentials | $65 | 50GB | Yes | Lower cost Higher data cap | Slower post-threshold speeds |
Boasting the second best mix of 5G availability and speeds behind Verizon today, T-Mobile currently strikes one of the best balances of performance and value in an unlimited mobile hotspot plan.
While their mid-band 5G isn‘t quite as fast as Verizon yet, it avoids the tiny coverage areas of mmWave. With their Magenta MAX plan, you get 40GB of high speed data and unlimited streaming that doesn‘t throttle video quality.
Their cheaper Essentials plan notably offers even more data before reductions kick in. But maximum download speeds are capped lower from the start. Still an excellent value however if you just need enough bandwidth for basic functions.
Prepaid Carriers
Prepaid month-to-month plans on networks like Metro, Cricket and Boost can provide major savings over postpaid options. But some compromises on network priority and max speeds are typically required.
Here is a selection of some of the best prepaid plans with generous mobile hotspot data allowances:
| Carrier | Network | Monthly Price | Hotspot Data | 5G Access | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro by T-Mobile | T-Mobile | $60 | 35GB | Yes | Least expensive 5G option | Low priority congestion |
| Boost Mobile | T-Mobile | $50 | 30GB | No | Low monthly fees | Uses slower 4G LTE |
| Cricket More | AT&T | $55 | 15GB | Yes | Reliable coverage | Lower speeds after limit |
As you can see, prepaid unlimited plans with hotspot data run as little as $50 per month. But they use downgraded 4G LTE networks and heavily throttled data speeds after hitting reduced monthly caps. Still, excellent options on a tight budget.
Using a Mobile Hotspot for Home Internet Replacement
Now that we‘ve compared carriers and plans, let‘s dig into how realistic using a mobile hotspot for all your home connectivity needs actually is in 2023 and beyond.
Everyone‘s home internet requirements obviously vary quite a bit based on habits, number of users and types of devices connected.
Advantages Over Traditional Home Internet
Here are some of the notable benefits you can get from switching to an unlimited data mobile hotspot plan over relying on traditional home broadband like cable or DSL:
Flexibility – Easily take connectivity with you anywhere or change plans month-to-month with no contracts
Cost savings – Unlimited hotspot plans can be cheaper than home internet depending on usage needs
Convenience – No technician visits required and everything is handled through convenient phone apps
Performance – Early 5G networks already match or beat average download speeds from cable and DSL providers when signal is strong
Disadvantages and Limitations
However, there are still some clear downsides to ditching standard home internet options for a wireless hotspot today:
Monthly data caps – Virtually every "unlimited" carrier plan enforces reduced speeds after 15GB to 50GB/month
Reliability concerns – Congestion during peak usage times can temporarily throttle speeds to a crawl
Battery life – Must supply consistent power source for hotspot device when home networking
Multiple user limitations – Most hotspot connections struggle providing adequate bandwidth to more than 5-10 devices simultaneously
Some other things to keep in mind – streaming is typically capped at 1080p resolution even on 5G networks for now. And Wi-Fi range is severely limited compared to mesh router systems, requiring multiple hotspot devices for whole home coverage.
When Does a Mobile Hotspot Make Sense for Home Use?
Considering the pros and cons above, here is a quick rundown of ideal home living situations where switching to a wireless hotspot may work better than counting on traditional wired broadband:
- Living alone or with just one other person needing internet
- Using 15GB of data or less per month on average
- Don‘t require steady upload speeds for big file transfers
- Living in a small apartment without need for expansive Wi-Fi range
- Primarily rely on internet for web browsing, email, chatting and SD video streaming
Outside those niche cases, most households with multiple occupants are still better served today by the unlimited data plans and wider, more reliable coverage offered by cable/fiber rather than cellular hotspots.
But rapid 5G expansions this decade may allow mobile hotspots to rival and surpass landline internet performance in due time.
Optimizing Speeds and Data When Using an Unlimited Mobile Hotspot
If you do decide to switch to a mobile hotspot home internet setup, either full-time or as a backup option, here are some insider tips to maximize performance and make the most of your data allowance:
Carrier Selection
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Verify carrier 5G and overall cellular coverage via online maps for your exact address before committing
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Compare congestion and average network speeds across carriers in your area during different times of day
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Consider running dual SIM phones temporarily with a secondary backup data-only SIM
Plan Management
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Enable auto-pay and paperless billing discounts to save up to 10% monthly
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Change plans proactively as new promos and features are introduced
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Set data limit warnings and throttle triggers at 75-80% of stated caps for overhead buffer
Wi-Fi Settings
- Enable band steering to connect devices to 5GHz Wi-Fi for max speeds
- Scan for interference and limit hotspot transmission power accordingly
- Toggle airplane mode briefly to force devices onto new towers as needed
General Usage Habits
- Limit number of users and connected devices to essentials
- Disable background updates and minimize streaming quality
- Test SIM in multiple hotspot devices to verify optimal antenna performance
Following the steps above tailored to your specific needs and environment will ensure you maximize throughput and stability. But home internet alternatives can still be hit or miss depending on just how congested your local cellular towers may be.
What Does the Future Hold for Unlimited Mobile Hotspots?
It‘s undeniable that 5G availability continues to spread at a rapid clip across the country. And noticeable speed boosts in many areas have expanded what we can reasonably do solely relying on mobile data vs Wi-Fi.
However, the dream of ubiquities fixed wireless 5G home internet that can fully handle the demands of modern digital families still remains a couple years down the road by most expert estimates.
The key roadblocks:
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Consistent mid-band coverage – Still largely limited to metro downtowns and missing in many suburbs
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Network capacity – Current 5G spectrum just beginning to allow serving mainstream data demands
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Indoor signal penetration – mmWave blocked by walls, low & mid-band require external antennas
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Limited spectrum – Carriers scrambling to acquire airwave rights critical to fast expansions
Most carriers tout lofty availability goals for 2025 and beyond counting on key infrastructure upgrades like:
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Enhanced beamforming – Focuses signals directly to devices rather than blanket areas
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Small cell deployments – Hyper local towers every few blocks instead of every few miles
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Carrier aggregation – Bonding multiple bands simultaneously across spectrum assets
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Quantum computing integrations – Rapid optimization of network traffic routing
Once features like the above scale over the next 2-4 years as projected, 5G should offer the coverage, capacity and low latency essential to replace wired home broadband across most population centers.
But consistent performance and network technology improvements will still heavily favor urban concentrations first. Rural users choosing unlimited mobile hotspots as their primary internet delivery method may continue needing to temper expectations on speeds for a while yet.
Recommendations: Choosing the Best Unlimited Hotspot Plan
I hope breaking down the realities of relying solely on mobile hotspots for your home internet needs covered the key questions you probably had.
To summarize:
Current 5G speeds and coverage can work in place of cable/fiber internet today IF you:
- Don‘t use much monthly data
- Live alone or just need to connect 1-2 devices
- Don‘t require high upload speeds frequently
- Have solid 5G signals in your exact location
For most other situations, you‘ll still want to utilize traditional home broadband.
But as engineers make technological strides enhancing 5G over this decade, unlimited mobile hotspot plans should become viable as a dedicated residential ISP replacement across the board soon enough thanks to faster speeds and expanded capacity.
When that time comes, I‘d love to offer more personalized advice to find you the perfect plan for your needs and budget. But in the meantime, please reach out with any other questions in the comments below!
