iPhone Text Effects: Tips and Tricks
February 10, 2026
Plans

Whether you’re working remotely, streaming on the go, or need a backup internet connection, hotspot data can be a real lifesaver.
In terms of getting a hotspot plan from AT&T, you have two options: buy a data-only hotspot plan, or (our preference) sign up for an unlimited data cell phone plan with hotspot data included. In this article, we’ll present you with both so you can decide what works best for you.
Why You Should Trust Us
I have over 10 years of experience writing about and reviewing mobile plans and phones. I’ve tried every carrier under the sun—and have some strong opinions about which ones are worth signing up for, and which you should steer clear of.
For this article, I focused on the following factors as it relates to service with AT&T:
- Overall value
- Plan features
- Cell phone coverage
- Quality of customer service
The following piece offers an honest look at how well AT&T fares in each of these areas.
Looking for a hotspot plan from AT&T—but don’t need a cell phone plan? You’re in luck. The company offers a handful of purpose-built, data-only plans for hotspots. These offerings are prepaid, meaning you have to pay for your data ahead of time.
AT&T's Prepaid Data 100GB ($90/month) is the carrier's most generous—and expensive—mobile hotspot plan. As its name indicates, this plan gives you 100GB of high-speed, 5G data to use each month.
If you’re a power user who needs a lot of hotspot data for your streaming, Zooming, or browsing, this is the plan for you.
For half the monthly data at a little over half the monthly price, AT&T sells the $55/month Prepaid Data 50GB plan.
The option is a good choice for light to medium hotspot users, offering the flexibility of mobile internet data wherever you are. While it may not give you quite enough data to replace your home internet plan, it should be more than sufficient to keep you connected when you’re on the go.
Looking for hotspot data, and a smartphone plan to go along with it? Like all of the major carriers (a group that includes Verizon and T-Mobile as well), AT&T offers an assortment of unlimited plans that feature varying amounts of dedicated hotspot data. These are some of our favorites.
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Signing up with AT&T for a hotspot plans means you get all of the benefits of a major carrier, including reliable customer service, a wide selection of phones, and excellent nationwide coverage.
AT&T delivers some of the best coverage in all of the country, blanketing nearly the entirety of it with 4G and 5G service.
AT&T’s 4G LTE is the most wide-reaching in the country, outdoing the likes of Verizon and T-Mobile. The company’s 5G network, meanwhile, covers just a tiny bit less of the country than T-Mobile’s (the industry leader).
Check out AT&T’s network in the map below, and use the buttons on top to switch between 4G and 5G coverage:
As frustrating as some of the phone hold times can be, you can generally get in touch with AT&T representatives nearly any time of the day. What’s more, AT&T stores are all over the place, so you probably aren’t far from one if you prefer in-person assistance.
One of the biggest upsides of going with a major carrier is the wide selection of phones. AT&T stocks flagship and mid-range models from the likes of Samsung, Apple, Google, and Motorola—and frequently runs promotions that allow you to get them at discount prices.
This makes AT&T a great option if you not only need plans but devices for your entire family. Some of AT&T’s recent promotions have included deals on the iPhone 16, the Samsung Galaxy S25, and the Google Pixel 9.
AT&T offers flexible hotspot solutions that can fit just about any need—whether you want a dedicated data-only plan for your hotspot device or a premium cell phone plan that includes plenty of hotspot data. With AT&T’s strong nationwide coverage, reliable customer service, and wide selection of devices, you can stay connected almost anywhere, whether for work, streaming, or simply peace of mind on the go. No matter which plan you choose, AT&T makes it easy to get the hotspot data you need.
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Hotspot plans range from $35 to $90/month depending on data allowance and whether it’s prepaid or postpaid.
AT&T throttles your speed to 128 Kbps, which is enough for email and basic browsing, but not streaming.
Yes. Unlimited Premium and some other postpaid plans include mobile hotspot usage—great for personal use or travel.
For a more modest, and slightly cheaper option, check out AT&T‘s Unlimited Extra EL plan for $75.99/month.
Unlimited Extra EL includes just enough perks (dedicated hotspot data, international usage privileges) to justify its $75.99/month price tag. Plus, it comes backed with the best combined 4G and 5G coverage in the country, so you can enjoy all of this in more places than any other cell phone carrier.
Unlimited Extra EL includes 75GB of premium (i.e., un-deprioritized) data to use each month, along with 30GB of mobile hotspot data, and Mexico and Canada calling and texting. Not surprisingly, Unlimited Extra EL is the second-most popular AT&T plan in the carrier's stable, with about 26% of subscribers signing up for it on average.
Did you know that for slightly less money than the aforementioned Prepaid Data 100GB plan, you could actually get a premium cell phone plan from AT&T with hotspot data included?
The plan we're referring to is AT&T‘s Unlimited Premium PL. While it's AT&T’s most expensive plan at $85.99/month for a single line, it comes down in price as you add them. Each line costs just $60.99/month, for example, when you add three, or $50.99/month when you add four.
Unlimited Premium PL is the only AT&T plan to include truly unlimited premium data, meaning you can stream, browse, or game to your heart's content without worrying about hitting any data ceilings or deprioritization. Better still, the plan includes a very generous 60GB high-speed mobile hotspot data allowance, along with unlimited talk, text, and high-speed data in 20 Latin American countries at no extra cost.
All of this makes Unlimited Premium PL one of the more feature-packed plans on the major carrier market. AT&T subscribers seem to understand this, as more people sign up for the plan (26.2%) than any of the carrier's othwer offerings.