Employers are getting used to the idea that workers want to bring their own devices to work and connect to the network, but if that network isn’t fast enough they may soon see employees toting in another device: the mobile hot spot. Mobile hot spots that connect to 4G LTE networks are selling for under $100, but the data fees can add up very quickly.
For business travel, the economics of mobile hot spots may make sense. Roaming fees are notoriously high, and the alternative of unlocking a phone and buying a prepaid SIM card does not usually solve the problem of Internet access. Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless are teaming up to offer business travelers a mobile hotspot that Verizon says will access the Internet more than 200 countries.