Q: What’s the difference between 4G home internet and a 4G hotspot?

4G LTE hotspots are portable, which means that you can take them outside your home and still connect using the same internet plan as long as you get reception. 4G LTE home internet is designed to be used in your home and won’t function if you take your router to a different location. Fixed plans, like those offered by Verizon and T-Mobile, are usually cheaper than hotspot plans and have higher data caps or unlimited data. So if you don’t need the flexibility of a mobile hotspot, getting 4G LTE home internet is a better option. For more information, check out our picks for the best mobile hotspots and the best hotspot data plans.

Q: How does 4G LTE compare to 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology, and has the potential to be much faster than 4G and 4G LTE—potentially reaching speeds of 20 Gbps.3 As it becomes more widespread, this new tech will be great for mobile phone users, but it will be especially important for home internet. 5G offers the speeds necessary for multiple devices to connect to your home network and do things like watch videos and play online games. The downside is that the higher frequencies used by 5G signals have a much shorter range, so it will require constructing many more cell towers in closer range to cover the same area as 4G. 5G technology currently makes use of several different spectrum bands, which means that there is a lot of variation between 5G providers. While low-band has the potential to significantly improve internet speeds in rural areas, it doesn’t support the same features and speeds as high-band 5G.4 The great thing about 4G home internet is that 4G and 4G LTE networks are already here.

Question 1

Can I get unlimited 4G LTE home internet?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can get unlimited 4G LTE home internet. In fact, unlimited data is one of the main reasons to get a dedicated 4G LTE home internet plan, rather than getting data through your standard mobile wireless plan and using your phone as a hotspot. It’s also why 4G LTE home internet might be a better option for you than satellite internet, which comes with low data caps. If multiple people will be using your internet connection, it’s helpful to have a dedicated router or hotspot and a plan with high data caps or unlimited data. It’s also worth noting that while many providers advertise unlimited data with no overage charges, some still throttle or deprioritize your connection once you pass a certain data threshold. Make sure to read the fine print to make sure your connection is truly unlimited for the whole month.

Question 2

What’s the difference between 4G home internet and a 4G hotspot?

Accepted Answer

4G LTE hotspots are portable, which means you can take them on the go and use them anywhere you get reception, but you have to buy your own hotspot device (or use your smartphone as a hotspot). 4G LTE home internet is designed to be used in your home and won’t function if you take your router to a different location.

Home internet plans are usually cheaper than hotspot plans and have free equipment and unlimited data. If you don’t need the flexibility of a mobile hotspot, getting 4G LTE home internet is a better option.

For more information, check out our picks for the best hotspot data plans.

Question 3

What’s the difference between 4G and 4G LTE?

Accepted Answer

4G LTE stands for fourth generation (cellular technology) long-term evolution. It’s a marketing term for cellular networks that don’t hit true 4G speeds but still use many 4G technologies. Providers call their networks LTE to show that, although they didn’t hit 4G speeds, they use fourth-generation cellular technology in hopes of eventually upgrading them to handle a true 4G network. 4G LTE speeds have improved dramatically over the past decade, but since “LTE” covers all networks that are still working toward meeting 4G standards, you’ll still find a great deal of speed variation between carriers. It’s also important to note that although 4G LTE networks don’t reach true 4G speeds, all 4G devices are compatible with these networks. You don’t need a special router or hotspot to connect to a 4G LTE network. Any 4G device will work.

Question 4

Can a 4G hotspot replace home internet?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a 4G hotspot can be used for home internet and can even replace other kinds of internet service. Mobile 4G LTE hotspots are generally more expensive than plans for fixed 4G LTE home internet and have lower data caps. So if portability isn’t an important factor, you should get a 4G LTE home internet plan instead.

4G LTE, whether fixed or mobile, isn’t the fastest type of internet connection. If you have the option for cable, 5G, or fiber, you probably wouldn’t want to replace it with a slower 4G connection. 4G and 4G LTE are definitely faster than dial-up, and in some cases might be an improvement over satellite or DSL. You can take an internet speed test from your phone and compare it to your home network speeds.

Question 5

Is 4G home broadband any good?

Accepted Answer

4G home internet is good enough for doing a lot of tasks, such as checking email and surfing the web. For more bandwidth-intensive activities like streaming Netflix or online multiplayer games, 4G might not cut it. If you’re not sure what your household bandwidth requirements are, check out our How Much Speed Do I Need? Tool.

Question 6

Is 4G considered high-speed internet?

Accepted Answer

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines high-speed internet (or broadband) as an internet connection with at least 25 Mbps download speeds. Some 4G LTE providers reach these speeds, but many do not.

Question 7

Does 4G internet use a router?

Accepted Answer

4G internet uses a specialized router/receiver, sometimes called a hotspot, though the terminology changes a bit depending on the provider. This device connects to your provider’s cellular network and then broadcasts a Wi-Fi network inside your home that your devices can connect to.

Question 8

What is the best 4G Wi-Fi hotspot?

Accepted Answer

There are a lot of 4G hotspots on the market, but the best one for you depends a lot on which providers have reception in your area (or areas you might travel). For that reason, it’s often best to buy a hotspot through your cell phone provider. For more information, check out our round up of the best mobile hotspots on the market today.

Question 9

How does 4G LTE compare to 5G?

Accepted Answer

5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology, and can reach speeds up to a gigabit per second (or faster). 5G offers the speeds necessary for multiple devices to connect to your home network and do things like watch videos and play online games.

The downside is that the higher frequencies used by 5G signals have a much shorter range, so it will require constructing many more cell towers in closer range to cover the same area as 4G. 5G technology currently makes use of several different spectrum bands, which means that there is a lot of variation between 5G providers. While low-band has the potential to significantly improve internet speeds in rural areas, it doesn’t support the same features and speeds as high-band 5G.

The great thing about 4G and 5G home internet is that they work together using signal routing technology. You’ll get the best available network for your needs with no extra hassle on your part.

Speed	Starting price	Shop now
Up to 300Mbps	$50/mo.* ^{w/Auto Pay}	Zip code View Plans for Verizon Home Internet
133–415Mbps	$50/mo.^† ^{5 year price guarantee. w/AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply.}	Zip code View Plans for T-Mobile Home Internet
90–300Mbps	$60/mo.^§	Zip code View Plans for AT&T

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About 4G LTE internet

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Pros and cons of 4G home internet

Pros of 4G LTE

Cons of 4G LTE

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Fourth-generation technologies

Long-term evolution (LTE)

The future of 4G

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FAQ about 4G home internet