On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I paid my hotel $14 a night for spotty Wi-Fi access that topped out at a mere 2Mbps and often stopped dead in its tracks. I was constantly waiting for emails and small files to download to my laptop, and video streaming was, to put it charitably, less than smooth. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm these days: Hotels are charging for Wi-Fi service that’s mediocre at best.

There is a better way, and it involves bringing your own mobile network with you. “Having a personal hotspot can let you connect at office speeds just about anywhere,” says Jeff Kagan, an independent wireless analyst. “It can mean the difference between being online and off.”

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here