This phone is broken (broken screen) and was given to me, so I figured I’d use it as a WiFi extender, but I guess I can’t.

  • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    8 hours ago

    Many carriers sell hotspot as a data capped premium feature. They probably want a SIM so you can be monitored and charged for using your own device on your own network and services that you’ve already paid for. Because greed.

    • scytale@lemmy.zip
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      6 hours ago

      I really hate how mobile hotspot is considered separate from regular data. It’s the same especially if your mobile speeds are are capped anyway. It’s like dental not being included in your health insurance as if your teeth aren’t part of your body.

      • tal@lemmy.today
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        2 hours ago

        On that note, I finally tried Comcast’s xfinitywifi service this month, and was pleasantly surprised. They run a WiFi hotspot service accessable to Comcast users, but non-Comcast subscribers can also get a la carte access for $10/month. It’s not a full drop-in replacement for cellular data — no system of WiFi access points is going to have that degree of coverage — but if you live in an urban area, an awful lot of the place is within range of an access point, and my experience thus far has been that it’s considerably faster than running off cellular data.