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Ask Slashdot: LTE Hotspot As Sole Cellular Connection?

New submitter iamacat writes I am thinking of canceling my regular voice plan and using an LTE hotspot for all my voice and data needs. One big draw is ability to easily use multiple devices without expensive additional lines or constantly swapping SIMs. So I can have an ultra compact Android phone and an iPod touch and operate whichever has the apps I feel like using. Or, if I anticipate needing more screen real estate, I can bring only a Nexus 7 or a laptop and still be able to make and receive VoIP calls. When I am home or at work, I would be within range of regular WiFi and not need to eat into the data plan or battery life of the hotspot.

Has anyone done something similar? Did the setup work well? Which devices and VoIP services did you end up using? How about software for automatic WiFi handoffs between the hotspot and regular home/work networks?

1 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Make sure that your LTE hotspot has enough battery life to survive few hours between the hotspots. Also... it will reduce battery life of your android/iOS devices, as wifi needs more power than GSM. And you'll probably not be able to do useful voice calls in areas where there's only GSM available.