In my line of business, I like to tell myself that all I need is good WiFi and strong coffee. In theory, I don’t need an office, I don’t even need a desk. I just need somewhere with enough space for my lap to support my little mac book pro and I’m laughing.
So, the search for reliable WiFi became my primary concern when I decided to launch L’Austin Translation full-time.
Although my wife and I have a fantastic home, we don’t actually live in it! Vacation renters do. Instead, we have chosen, to galavant #aroundtheglobe with our 4 children and two dogs in tow.
We will be traveling in the UK for two months and then upon our return we’ll hook up the RV and hit the road here in the US.
It DOES sound dreamy. But, again, the issue of WiFi kept popping its little head up. How in the world can I work my business without a solid internet connection?
It is true that the world is becoming smaller and smaller. For all its strengths, however, the US is surprisingly #unconnected. I cannot rely on pulling in to any random village and expecting their to be reliable internet. In my line of business, I often have some hefty uploading and downloading of data.
I decided I needed to provide my own portable WiFi when and wherever possible.
For a long time, I almost convinced myself that I was going to have to go with Karma Go. Their MiFi option appeared to be the only one that could conceivably keep me connected without paying a fortune.
There were other options, but they all involved renting expensive devices and paying out the nose for the privilege.
Then I dropped on T-mobile. (At the time of writing this blog, I am NOT an affiliate marketer of theirs, just FYI).
T-mobile offered me the opportunity to get out of my agreements with Verizon early by paying my Early Termination Fees (ETFs). Their US coverage is creeping up on that of Verizon although still not as complete, AND they have NO ROAMING fees in the UK. So I am going to be able to connect to the internet in England and Scotland without paying ANY extra!
Having never run my business full time, I have no gauge to determine just how much data I might need. So I signed my wife up for 10 Gigs/month, my own phone for 10 Gigs of data a month and a separate hotspot with 10 Gigs of data a month. It will take some juggling between devices as they reach their separate data limits, but I reckon this ought to do the trick!
Last month, being my first full month on this new set-up and relying heavily on my hotspots from my business’ devices, I used some 33 gigs of data. (That said, T-mobile doesn’t charge for streaming nor does it charge when you go over your data. They just choke the speed that they provide you a signal until your new monthly allowance starts).
So, if you are restricted only by WiFi like me, do a great deal of traveling in and out of the US, this may be an option worth pursuing. Thankfully, it seems to be doing just the trick for me and I’m paying the same now as I was with my other carrier! #ChaChing !!!
Have you found an even more affordable or reliable way to stay connected? Do me a solid and let me know about your solutions in the comments!
