Unlimited Data plan and Mobile Hotspot?

[jmacciola]

Does the new unlimited data plan not allow you to use your phone as a hotspot?.

[David606 · Accepted solution]

Unlimited does not allow for tethering or mobile hotspot. Only the device itself may use the data, not another device.

[Keith9124]

So even the old unlimited package doesn't allow for a hotspot? What kind of package would I have to get to be eligible for that?

[sandblaster]

Any mobile share plan allows the use of hotspot. If you still have a legacy minute plan, I believe the 5GB data plan is the only one that allows hotspot.

[David606]

Not even the old unlimited plan allows for tethering. It's just something that was never available. No carrier offers unlimited data with tethering. Spint and T-Mobile allow tethering with a limit on their unlimited plans. It's a few gigabytes, just not unlimited with tethering.

[aschettler]

This is still tethering, though! Rather than complain that T-Mobile or Sprint offer limited tethering, admit that this is a downside to being on an AT&T "Unlimited" Data Plan and that these two carriers have you beat on something. I'd rather have "a few" (read: 14GB or 22GB for T-Mobile) of tethering on an "unlimited" data plan than no tethering at all. I've been a faithful AT&T customer for over 10 years, but you guys never listen to what your customers want, and I'm getting fed up with it.

[David606]

This is why choice exists in the wireless industry. It isn't a utility where local monopolies exist. I give the same advice to everyone. Vote with your wallet and go with what fits your needs. If another carrier offers limited hotspot on their unlimited plan and that's what you need, go that route.

If unlimited plans from almost a decade ago never offered it that's a sign it is something that may never change.

[Gary L]

The AT&T $100 20GB plan is "reasonable", not T-Mobile pricing but reasonable, and has tethering and rollover. (and Canada and Mexico).

[sandblaster]

@Gary L, the $100 plan is for 15GB. Not everyone gets the deal you got. The 20GB plan is normally $140. 

[Gary L]

@sandblaster (Since you brought it up)  It seems like it's pretty freely given, maybe not as freely as the Canada Roaming bonus, but not much more effort that quoting a competitor's plan seems to get the bonus data. Maybe that's just the posts I've seen and read here and other forums, but that seems to consistantly be what I've seen/read.  If anyone has asked and not gotten it, please chime in.

Regardless, 15GB is a lot of shared data for $100 too (better than $50 for 5GB for non-rollover tethered data).

[sandblaster]

@Gary L, Interesting. Maybe I've just missed them but you are the first I've ever seen on this forum to get this deal (the 20GB for the price of 15GB). In fact, I'd never even heard of the possibility until you mentioned it.

[Gary L]

I thought I've seen it here more than a few times, maybe it was at HowardForums or SlickDeals, but I spend way way more time here than there...

@sandblaster Just ask retention and see what they say, it couldn't hurt to mention that T-Mobile has three 10GB lines for $120 (compare to AT&T that's 30GB for $75 when you subtract that 3 lines would cast $45). 

[cholaloka82]

Ok I bought my at&t Samsung-SM-G53A T Wal-Mart and I went with the bring your own phone plan and I have straight talk minutes. Been this for years and I've always had my mobile hotspot and tethering to work. On this phone I have now...I have mobile hotspot as well as tethering as a feature on this phone but when I go to turn it on and configure my settings...it tells me to go to att.com/mywireless or call 611 to set it up...first I have ever had this problem. I have always used an AT&T phone with a B.Y.O.P plan with straight talk...can't get any good tips or helpful support on this website so if you would please be so kind as to tellinge how to set it up I would be very appreciative...thank you

[lizdance40]

@cholaloka82

Im surprised you ever had a working hotspot on an ATT phone on another network.

You need to check your plan with straight talk, it may not allow tethering.   Or your current phone is an ATT specific hotspot and cannot work on another network.

FYI, you can purchase a Nexus 5x from Best Buy, which will work with any SIM card and is not network locked.

[Lonelygirl]

If you are paying for unlimited service and you have personal electronics why do they not let you tether or use ur phone as a hot spot? My phone company will allow up to so many gb for you to use doing that then they will make you pay $20 a gig after the 5 gigs you use..I'm wanting to switch over to att on my wireless needs and this might be a downfall of it here because I take my tablet everywhere I go with Internet tethered from my phone to tablet..