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Why does your field service business need a mobile hotspot? In modern times, connecting to the ever-expanding resource of the internet has become essential for almost any business, especially field service businesses using a mobile scheduling/dispatch software like Smart Service. While most devices these days have the ability to utilize SIM cards to access cellular networks on their own, plenty of models rely solely on a WiFi connection (most tablets, for example). You also may want to provide employees with a company-owned hotspot in order for them to access the internet for work purposes (without the hassle of sorting out exactly who owes what for data charges).
Verizon
Hailed as the nation’s largest carrier, Verizon offers a handful of different hotspot devices to purchase. If you just have the mobile hotspot option on your Verizon account, you can get service starting as low as 1GB a month for $10 and only $10 more for each extra 1GB.
With Verizon, you can use any of the shared data plans or unlimited plans with your mobile hotspot. For more sporadic or intermittent use, Verizon also offers prepaid plans with prices starting at $35 a month for 6GB. You can also get 16GB of data for $45 a month, or 30GB for $65.
AT&T
AT&T’s DataConnect mobile hotspot plans offer 10GB of data for $50, or 15GB for $70 a month. Alternatively, you can choose one of AT&T’s Wireless Internet packages. Voice talk by itself will cost you $20, but you can get 10GB of data for $50, 50GB for $60, or 100GB for $100. All of these data packages also include voice talk.
Like Verizon, AT&T also allows you to sign up for prepaid mobile hotspot plans, starting at $35 for 3GB of data for 30 days. The next step up is $50, which gets you 10GB, and at the highest tier, you can get 18GB of data for $75 per month.Â
T-Mobile
The nation’s third-biggest (now merged with Sprint) carrier’s cheapest plan is $10 a month for 2GB of data and scales up to $85 a month for their maximum 22GB of data. Here’s the break down:
- $10/mo = 2GB
- $25/mo = 6GB
- $40/mo = 10GB
- $55/mo = 14GB
- $70/mo = 18GB
- $85/mo = 22GB
If you have a T-Mobile One account, you can get unlimited 3G hotspot speeds. Upgrading to a T-Mobile One Plus plan will allow you access to 20GB of transfer at LTE hotspot speeds, but speeds will begin to be throttled to 3G after you hit that threshold.
Cricket
Cricket Wireless (which runs on AT&T’s cellular network) offers the Moxee Mobile Hotspot and can be used with their Data Only plans. For $35 a month you can have 20GB, or you can double your data to 40GB for $50 a month. The highest tier offers a whopping 100GB of data for the price of $90 per month.
Boost Mobile
Boost doesn’t have a wide range of options when it comes to mobile hotspots; they offer just a single plan that will run you $50 per month for 50GB of 4G LTE data transfer. While it’s the only plan they currently have, it’s very reasonably priced when compared with similar plans from the other companies we've mentioned. Thus, we've included it on this list!
Mobile Tethering
Already pay for company phone plans? Many devices and plans offer built-in WiFi tethering! This feature allows an employee’s phone to act in place of a dedicated WiFi hotspot, enabling them to use their WiFi-only devices through the SIM card already included in their mobile device.
Some plans include this feature free of charge while other plans/providers may charge extra or limit usage of your data via a hotspot. Take the time to confirm with a representative from your current cellular provider what you have access to.
